Bloodlust
by FeltonLewis
Summary: Everybody knew that they would do something. Something bad. But this? It was completely unexpected. Death-eaters were meant to put you under the cruciatus curse and watch while you slowly lost your mind. Nobody, though, thought they'd see the day where students would have to fight against each other- twenty four of us. Only one survivor. Inspired from the Hunger Games.
1. Bloodlust

**Hello readers :) I actually REALLY like this idea and Ive got a story planned out for this, weirdly enough. I put this up as a one-shot/ extract, yes, but if I receive enough feedback and a want for this to be made into a story, I'll definitely give it a shot (: So let me know! I know there isn't much Dramione at all but it's supposed to develop in the story if I write it :P Enjoy guys xx**

**-This extract is inspired from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins :)**

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It was the first year. Everybody knew that they would do something. Something bad. But this? It was completely unexpected. Death-eaters were meant to put you under the cruciatus curse and watch while you convulsed on the floor, while you slowly lost your mind. But this? It was more than insane... People guessed that they would overthrow the Ministry but nobody thought they'd see the day where students would have to fight against each other- twenty four of us. Only one survivor.

A hand clamping down on mine tightly brought me back to reality. Slapped me back into reality more like. I looked to my right where Ginny sat. Her hands were shaking and her eyes showed how scared she was. I looked around me. Harry, Ron, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Neville- everyone had the same expression on their face. The other houses were'nt any different. Not even the Slytherins. Today, we were all equally scared. Two students from each house would walk to their deaths today. Eight of us. One of us had a chance to survive, if anything. Seven would still die. It was inevitable.

I looked at Ron- who had left me for Lavender earlier this month. They had been together a while but nobody bothered telling me. Harry and Ginny were together. I prayed that they weren't selected. Let it be me- just not her. The Ministry had been overthrown a month ago. Ginny had found out that she was pregnant two months ago. She just couldn't be selected... Neville was looking across the hall, I noticed. I followed his gaze. Hannah Abbott. The short pretty dark haired witch from Hufflepuff. She had tears running down her cheeks as her eyes locked with Neville's. I turned to Neville, who was seated beside me. He was shaking his head, silently telling her not to cry.

I felt a lump form in my throat as I took in Harry and Ron. My best friends since first year. What would happen if one of us got chosen? What if two of us got selected? I shook the thought out of my head... I couldn't afford to think like that right now.

A throat was cleared and we all turned to the stage. The moment was almost here. The masked man stood on stage. Our stage. The stage we had seen Dumbledore address us from since first year. This was our hall. One of the places we all felt safe in. But that's all gone now.

"Welcome to Bloodlust ", He said, his voice gruff. "You all know the rules of this game. Eight tributes from this school, four from Durmstrang, four from Beuxbatons, four from Jawstens and four from Delists. Twenty-four tributes. One Arena. One survivor. One Victor. This is to show all of you what happens when we are in command. When The Dark Lord's followers take over the rest of you. Harry Potter won by chance. Bloodlust is not about chance. It's about skill. And in the end, it's not the Victor who wins. It's us. Good luck."

He stepped forward and reached into a cauldron. "Ladies first." Even though it was us who were going to be selected first, the entire hall- boys and teachers included- held their breathes.

"From Ravenclaw house- Bonnie Wikham." There were sharp intakes of breathe from the Ravenclaw house and several students broke down crying. I didn't know Bonnie personally but a lot of people did. I was just glad that, as selfish as it sounded, Luna was not picked.

"Oh, before I continue- I must remind you all that Bloodlust is not a game with magic." Everybody's eyebrows furrowed together. "You heard correctly. Wands are not allowed in the arena. Everything will be done the muggle way." The hall fell silent- the sobs had stopped. The muggle way? Purebloods wouldn't last without magic... What the hell were they playing at?

The death-eater stuffed his hand back into the cauldron beside the previous one and pulled out another piece of parchment.

"Hufflepuff house- Hannah Abbott."

No! My mouth fell open and Ginny's grip on my hand tightened. Not Hannah... I looked at Neville, whose mouth had fallen open. Tears were beginning to fill his eyes and he was shaking his head very slowly. God, not Hannah...

"Come up on stage, both of you", The death-eater said, waving them over, "Congratulations!" This was sick... So sick...

The two girls stood shakily to their feet, their hands fisted around the fabric of their white skirts. Tears were streaming down their cheeks. Obviously...

They reached the stage and holding each other's hands, they went up.

"Good good. State your name, age and blood status." He didn't need to amplify her voice like he did. The hall was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"Bonnie Wi-Wikham", The blonde Ravenclaw stammered, "Eighteen, half-blood."

A few sobs echoed around the hall.

"H-Hannah Ab-Abbott", Hannah said, trying to look strong by wiping away her tears hastily, "Eighteen, Pureblood."

"Thank you and ", The death-eater nodded. He moved to the next cauldron.

"Slytherin House- Hayley Parkinson".

"NO!" A cry cut through the hall. Everybody looked to the Slytherin table where Pansy Parkinson was clinging on to a younger version of her, whose body was racking with sobs. Pansy's sister had come with her to Hogwarts for the selection? She would have had less of a chance being selected from Jawstens, where she had studied. But then it hit me. If she had been chosen there and Pansy had been selected here- they would be put against each other. One would die for sure. And knowing these games, they would end up watching the other die...

"Griffindor house-" No one had even noticed him move to the next cauldron. "-Ginevra Weasley."

My heart stopped beating. The only parts of me functioning were my mind and my hand, which had gripped the hand in mine so tightly that I was sure her hand was close to breaking.

Ginny... Sweet, innocent, young Ginny. Ron's sister. Molly and Arthur's only daughter. Harry's fiancé and his child's mother. And my best friend and... Pansy wouldn't be the only one watching her sister walk to her death.

No... Ginny... She was the one girl who knew me better than anybody else. I vaguely registered her telling me she loved me before extracting her hand from mine and standing up. But I couldn't respond. I was frozen with shock. With fear. I still couldn't breathe. Ginny... My throat constricted and my head felt heavy...

If she was taken away from us... There would be too much loss. More people would be affected than if someone like me was taken away. I had no family left. I had no boyfriend. I had my best friends. But Ginny? She had so much more... More people would be affected than if someone like me was taken away... Someone like me...

"I volunteer."

The Great Hall stilled. I was finally able to move again and I raised my eyes to meet deep green. But Harry's wasn't the only ones looking at me. Every single pair of eyes were trained on me. And I suddenly realized that my whisper had been heard through the entire hall. My whisper... I had spoken without realizing it.

"What was that?" The surprised but amused voice of the death-eater asked, "You volunteer?"

I rose slowly to my feet. Neville's hand had found mine and was holding it tightly, giving me silent support. My eyes didn't leave Harry's. I could see the battle in his eyes. Be happy that Ginny wasn't being sent to the arena... Versus watching me being sent there.

"Yes, I volunteer as tribute." My voice came out much more confident than I was.

"Hermione, no!" Ginny cried. She was about to coming running towards me when another voice cut through the silence.

"I volunteer as well." My eyes shifted from Harry's to the Slytherin table.

Pansy was standing shakily to her feet, one of her hands clasped in Blaise Zabini's hand and the other in Draco Malfoy's. She was looking at me. Into my eyes now.

"Well well well", The man on stage said, laughing a bit, "Isn't this interesting? I'm sorry Miss Parkinson but rules say that you are not allowed to volunteer to take the place of a family member." Pansy's eyes snapped towards the Death-eater and so did mine. So did everyone's.

He was smirking, an evil glint in his eyes that were visible even from so far away. It wasn't hard to tell that he had just made that rule up...

I looked at Hayley Parkinson. She was standing half way to the stage, frozen. Not sure what to do. She was the youngest amongst us all. Barely sixteen if my estimation was correct. Pansy wanted to take her place. But she wasn't allowed to.

"You didn't let me finish what I was saying", I heard myself say. Everyone turned back to me. I held Pansy's eyes as I said, "I volunteer to take the place of Hayley Parkinson." Gasps were heard all around the hall and whispers and mummers broke out. I had betrayed Ginny... My best friend... I had betrayed Griffindor house. They hadn't realized yet...

Pansy didn't break eye contact. Her eyebrows came together. Confusion. Shock. I was pleading with her silently. My face held nothing but confidence but my eyes held everything I needed to say. She needed to understand what I had just done. I had just sacrificed myself for her sister. And I needed her to do the same for mine.

But instead I watched as she sat slowly down, never leaving my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut as the whispers grew louder. What had I just done... I was going to have to be with Ginny in the arena now... But I could protect her, I could-

"I volunteer to take Ginevra Weasley's place". My eyes snapped open to see her standing up once again. Fear but determination in her eyes.

"Oh..." I looked down and Harry was looking at me, understanding and realization dawned on him. I had volunteered for Hayley with hope that Pansy would understand what I was doing and volunteer for Ginny. The results would be the same in the end. Both of us instead of both of them.

"Well, then", The death-eater said. "Come on up on stage both of you. I'm impressed- our first Bloodlust and we already have volunteers." He waved us on to the stage and I stepped out of my seat.

I passed Ginny, unable to look at her. I knew she was crying without having to see it. Guilt and fear and shock on her face. She had understood what I had done. The whole hall had.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her, crying in my face.

"You can't go, 'Mione!" She screamed. "You can't do this for me!" I pulled my arm away and looked her in the eye.

"I'm doing it for Hayley. Go tell Pansy." I said. "Ginny, go sit down. You'll be okay." She grabbed my arm. I looked to Neville and he knew what I wanted. He stood up and removed Ginny from me. She reached out to me, crying but I stepped away from her. Neville put his arm around the redhead's waist and pulled her back to the table, forcing her to sit down. I looked towards the Slytherin table where a similar scene was going on- Daphne Greengrass pulling Hayley away from her sister.

Catching each other's eye, Pansy and I walked parallely to the stage. I took a deep, shuddering breath and walked up the stairs. Hannah and Bonnie were standing at one side, holding eachother's hands tightly.

"Congratulations", The man said and I had the urge to strangle him. I immediately placed my guard up in my mind. They knew legillemency and I wasn't going to take a risk.

"You're name, age and blood status", He said, flicking his wand at us and amplifying our voices.

"Pansy Parkinson, nineteen, Pureblood", It was easy to see that she was trying to be strong but her slightly shaking voice gave her away.

I swallowed hard, determined not to give them a chance to think that I was even a little weak. "Hermione Granger, nineteen... Muggleborn."

The death-eater laughed loudly. "You mean a Mudblood?" He spat the last word.

I opened my mouth to retort and tell me to stuff it when movement at the Slytherin table made me stop mid-action.

Blaise Zabini was shaking his head- his action barely visible. But I could see it because he wasn't the only one. Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode- they were all shaking their heads. But not in a mocking way, not in a discouraging way- nothing of that sort. It was more like a warning.

"Don't argue" Several voices in my ear suddenly hissed. My eyes widened and looked around the hall. No one had heard. They were all waiting for my response. But they knew what I was going to say... They knew I'd argue...

I looked back to the group. That's when I noticed it. Blaise was whispering something under his breathe. I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to figure out what was going on. All of their mouths moved slightly and the voice reached my ear again.

"Granger, don't argue."

And for once, I bit my retort back and looked the death-eater in the eye and said, "Yes. A mudblood."

"Smart girl, no arguments", He said, nodding his head. We were asked to shake hands with the other tributes and then he spoke again. "Now for the boy tributes."

"From Hufflepuff house- Justin Corson." A young black-haired boy of about fifteen stood up, tears shining in his eyes. The entire table sat shocked, tears slowly making their way down their cheeks. He was so young...

"From Ravenclaw house- Casper Triste." A brown haired boy that I recognized from the year below us stood up. He, like me, refused to look at anybody. He put up a mask of confidence on his face and stepped away from his table. They came together up on stage and announced their credentials.

Justin Corson, Fifteen, Half-blood.

Casper Triste, Eighteen, Pureblood.

Then it was Slytherin house. I saw Pansy tense up beside me, praying under her breathe that it wasn't someone close. She had stopped breathing. I suddenly realized that so had I once the name was announced.

"Slytherin house-" The man said, his voice full of twisted mirth, "-Draco Malfoy."

I heard Pansy choke back a sob but I didn't look at her. My eyes were trained on the Slytherin table where I saw the always-confident blonde haired boy's cold, unwavering front drop. His eyes darted between his friends, shock evident in his eyes, nervousness etched on to his face. Draco Malfoy was the purest of purebloods- having to survive without magic... Was it possible for him?

My attention was suddenly snapped away from him when I heard the Griffindor house's tribute being announced.

"Griffindor house-" Please don't be someone I know! Gods, please don't! Let it be someone I- "Seamus Finnigan." No...

No! No! No!

The entire hall had fallen silent. And suddenly- sobbing. Most of the Griffindor table had broken down. Harry and Ron were staring, shocked, at Seamus. Dean had his head in his hands, his body shaking. Ginny was openly sobbing into Neville's shoulder, who was completely frozen.

"Come on up, you two." Malfoy and Seamus stood up, both trying to look confident. I noticed Malfoy's tough front was back up again but Seamus looked a little weary. I don't blame him...

"Name, age, blood status."

"Draco Malfoy, nineteen, Pureblood." And for once, he didn't state his blood status with pride. He knew that it would probably be the thing that got him killed.

"Seamus Finnigan, nineteen, half-blood."

"Shake hands with your fellow tributes". Seams and Malfoy shook hands with everybody and finally reached us.

Seamus stood in front of me. He clasped my hand tightly, looking straight into my eyes. At least one of us would die... I felt the edges of my eyes blur. No! I wasn't going to show weakness!

"Don't you dare cry", Seamus whispered, squeezing my hand. I nodded and blinked my tears away rapidly. He moved to Pansy while Malfoy came in front of me.

"Breathe, Granger", He said in an undertone and I suddenly realized that I was holding my breathe. He held his hand out and I took it, releasing a shaky breathe. He smirked, "We don't want you dead before the games." I don't know why I did it, but I smiled weakly. He moved on to Pansy and held her hand tightly. She was looking away from him, tears in her eyes.

"Head held high, Pans", He whispered. She looked up and nodded, doing as he said. "Be strong." He went to stand beside her as Seamus stood in between me and Pansy. We were all standing in a line. The death-eater asked us to step forward and we did so, standing at the edge of the stage- facing our friends. Our family.

"A round of applause for our tributes!"

No one stirred. And I was glad they didn't. Why should they clap? Because we were going to die?

And then one hand rose, wand clapsed in his hand, pointing to the ceiling. Blaise Zabini. Another wand rose. Ginny. Ron. Harry. Neville. Dean. Hayley. Theodore. Daphne. Luna. Ernie.

And suddenly every student had their wands in the air. The last time I had seen this was when the entire Hogwart's body was surrounding Dumbledore while he lay dead on the ground below the Astronomy Tower. It was a sign of respect. That the person would be missed.

The tributes linked hands. The wands weren't lowered. This was our last moment in peace before Bloodlust began.

Before one by one, we died.

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**So what did you guys think? Please please let me know :) Thank you for reading and do review!**

**Love always,**

**FeltonLewis xx**


	2. I Promise

Chapter 2: I Promise

Hi Bloodlust readers! I know I haven't updated this in toooo long but here we are with chapter two :D Im glad i could finally finish this! So many of you were asking for it that I simply HAD to finish this chapter soon! Enjoy xx

We were soon ushered, rather dragged, into separate rooms that were once classrooms in Hogwarts. Now they had been converted into meeting rooms and such for the Death-Eaters. Everything was different. Everyone was trapped. I was roughly pushed into a room painted purple and red and the door was locked behind me. I sat there, on my knees, breathing deeply. There was a sofa set and coffee table in one corner and the floor was covered in soft velvet. I closed my eyes and pressed my palms against the soft ground.

There were probably cameras in the room. There was barely anywhere in the Wizarding world that wasn't under security. Ironically, most of this security was done by muggle means...

I willed myself not to cry. I wouldn't cry. I would be strong. I knew they had pulled down a screen in the Great Hall and everyone there was watching us. Our reactions. I would not seem weak. I stood to my full height, refusing to let my knees shake like they wanted to. I stood up and forced myself to cross my arms over my chest and look indifferent. I didn't need them thinking anything of me. I could just imagine the scene in the Hall. Tense silence with occasional sobbing. Ginny, Ron and Harry. Neville, Luna and Dean. Everyone.

As if my thoughts were the cue, the door was opened and Ginny entered with Luna. The two girls immediately pulled me towards them, hugging me tightly. And soon they were sobbing. The two split apart from me and Ginny held my face.

"What were you thinking?!" She cried.

"I volunteered for Hayley, remember? Not you." I said calmly. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"I know what you did, Hermione. Just know that I love you so, so much and that I-" I clamped my hand down across Ginny's mouth, not allowing her to say another word.

"Don't make this more difficult than it already is, Gin", I said softly. "I love you and don't you ever forget that. I want you all to move on once this is all over- don't think about me too much."

"Hermione, dont-"

"You know it's true." Ginny closed her eyes and tried to calm down but tears were cascading down her cheeks.

"Stay strong. Make sure you keep the baby safe and healthy. Take care of the boys", I said, turning to Luna. The blonde haired girl was standing there, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Luna had changed so much over the past year- no one thought she'd be anybody but the happy, carefree girl she was in 6th year. But oh, how things changed... Oh, how things changed...

"Luna, help Ginny in any way you can. And listen, I know that the Slytherins are in my debt because of what I did- make use of that. If need be, join forces with them. Take their help if you need it badly." I could see Luna struggling with finding something to say. I went up to her, Ginny's hands falling from my face to her sides as she stood there sobbing. I tucked Luna's fringe behind her ear and looked her in the eye. "Don't leave each other no matter what. You have to stay together." Luna nodded numbly. The door was thrown open and a death-eater stepped inside.

"Time's up. Im sending the next two in", He snarled, stepping forward to grab Ginny's arm. I moved quickly and pushed him away.

"Don't touch her!" I spat, "She can go herself." Ginny hugged me tight, breaking down once more.

"I love you, Gin. Stay safe." I whispered, nodding at Luna, silently asking her to take Ginny away. Luna did as I asked, kissed me on my cheek and left the room. The death-eater walked out and in his place entered two more people.

Harry shut the door behind him and Ron. I immediately felt tears sting the back of my eyes.

"Are they already watching?" I choked out, needing to be sure. Harry shook his head.

"Not yet."

And I let myself break. I ran at full speed and Ron and Harry met me half-way, grabbing me tightly into a bone-crushing embrace.

"You can win, Hermione, you can win", Harry said, sounding strangled.

I split apart from them but they didn't release their holds around my waist and back. I looked at them through my blurry vision and said, "There are twenty eight of us, Harry. With only one survivor."

"You can still do it!" Ron said, tears filling his eyes. "You're stronger than them, you are!"

I smiled at him sadly and shook my head. "Promise me you'll stay together. Promise me you'll keep the others safe, that you won't stop fighting this battle. You can win this war. You know you can!"

"We need you", Harry said, a tear escaping his eye which he brushed away angrily. "They can't just take you away!"

"But they are. I told Luna this already but you listen too- the Slytherins are in my debt. You ask them for anything, they'll help you. They're definitely on your side now, understand?" I spoke quickly, knowing my time was almost up. "You ask them, they'll help. You do it! Don't let pride come in the way. Stay together- ALL of you. If Seamus, Malfoy or Parkinson come out alive- don't hate them! Stay close, all of you. You can still win this."

"Hermione-"

"And Harry, make sure that kid of yours comes out safe and happy- make sure he's born into a less evil world. Don't let my sacrifice go to waste", I said, my words tumbling over each other because of the speed with which I was speaking. "I love you both more than my life."

"Forever and always." Ron said, tears openly streaming down his cheeks.

I nodded, repeating, "Forever and always. Keep the girls safe. Don't let them get hurt. Don't leave them alone."

"We love you so much. Promise us you'll try to win, Hermione", Harry rushed out as soon as he heard the door behind us opening. I grabbed on to them, hugging them close. "Promise us, Hermione! Promise us!"

"I promise!" I said, holding them tightly when I felt them being pulled away. "No, please! Give us a minute!" They were snatched away from me and the last thing I felt my hands slip away from was Harry and Ron's in either of mine. I looked at them one last time. Really looked at them. Memorized any feature of theirs I had not memorized already. And then the door closed.

I was about to collapse onto the floor when strong arms held me up. I was about to scream at them not to touch me when I realized that they weren't hurting me. I looked up and stared into brown eyes. Neville hugged me before I could say anything, just allowing me to cry into his shoulder.

"Neville, I-"

"Don't say anything. I know you love me and I love you just as much", He said softly. I was transferred into another pair of arms, belonging to someone slightly shorter. I didn't need to look to see whose. I'd recognize the motherly embrace anywhere. After Molly, each of the Weasley's held me close, making me promise that I'd try and win. I promised. I would try. But I wouldn't win. I knew that. They knew that. But they made me and I promised anyway.

Just when I thought they were the last of visitors, the door opened and in walked three people I hadn't expected to see in this room. His dark eyes shining with anger and pain, Blaise Zabini strode towards me, Theodore Nott on one side and Millicent Bulstrode on the other.

"We owe you". Zabini said, staring at me. I simply stared back, not saying a word. In some twisted way, they did. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and waited for him to say something more. Nott did.

"How do we repay you?" He asked, with a blank face though it was obvious all three of them had just broken down. They must have met Pansy and Draco prior to this meeting.

"Help my friends. In any way they need." I said, swallowing hard. All three nodded.

"You're a bright witch, are you not?" Zabini asked, not moving his eyes from mine. I shrugged, resisting the urge to say yes.

"Then Im sure you can find a way." He said. My eyebrows furrowed together, a little confused. A way to do what? "A way for all of you to come back."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"This is their first year, Granger", He elaborated in a low voice. "There has to be a loophole. Promise us you'll try and find it." I nodded, not knowing what to think. Not knowing what else to do. "And come back to us. All of you." The fact that he had said "All of you" and not just referred to their Slytherins was surprising but I didn't show it on my face, choosing instead to nod. Knowing, though, that there was no way all of us could come back. If anything, just one of us.

"Good luck". I finally looked away from the boy in front of me and looked to the black-haired girl standing to one side. I nodded curtly at her.

"Keep yourselves safe", I said as the door opened. "And win this war. For us." The three Slytherins nodded, their calm demeanor long gone, replaced by thousands of emotions striking at once. They walked out and once again, I was left alone on this side of the door.

They left me in that room for the next two hours before some death eater came to get me. For two hours I tried to shut out any thoughts of death. For two hours, I sat and repeated all the spells I knew in my head even though we weren't allowed magic there. It proved to be a good distraction.

I was lead through corridors of Hogwarts I don't remember looking so grand- purple velvet flooring and torches lighting the entire corridor up brightly. I was asked, rather politely with no pushing involved, to go down the corridor and enter the door on my right. Dreading the worst, I did what I was told. Not knowing what was on the other side of the door, I took a deep breath and pushed it open.

I stopped at the doorway, my eyebrows coming together in confusion. This was... relatively pleasant.

The room was a midnight blue, small in size and had was carpeted with black- again- velvet. A man dressed in a black coat and trousers with gray streaks running through his hair stood by a bed, fidgeting with something that looked oddly like red hair together. I didn't fancy standing there for long so in order to get his attention, I cleared my throat. He spun towards me immediately and offered me a large smile, showing off dazzling teeth.

"Miss Hermione Granger, am I right?" He asked, stepping forward. He placed the red- hair?- in his coat pocket and held his arms out as if he expected me to hug him. I almost snorted. Not bloody likely. He realized and lowered his arms, not once dropping his smile. I wondered exactly how many tributes actually went running into these peoples' arms. Who were they anyway? Would they help us survive the games?

"Yes." I said, shortly, putting my hands into my jean's pockets.

"I am Charley Avons", He said, holding his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you." I simply stared down at his hand, glared at it a bit and then looked back up at him, telling him I had absolutely no interest in shaking his hand or anything even remotely friendly. He got the hint. He nodded and connected his hands behind his back.

"Step forward, Hermione". I did what I was told, biting back any potential remarks. He proceeded in circling me, looking me up and down. It was unnerving and uncomfortable but I held my ground. Who was this man and what did he think he was doing?

He made an audible thinking noise and said, "You won't need that much grooming- just your bird nest". He gestured with his hand to my hair. I grit my teeth.

"Grooming? Who are you?" I asked, turning around so he wasn't- checking out- my back any longer.

"Charley Avons-"

"I got that part."

"-Your- let's say beautician." My eyebrows shot up.

"You're beautifying me? For what? Will it help me survive in the games?" I spat, thoroughly disgusted by this whole affair.

"It will."

Okay, Ill admit that surprised me a bit and I couldn't help but ask how.

"Sponsors." Was his answer. Sponsors? "The people who send you things you desperately need during the games- food, water, a blanket- those sort of things."

"How do I get sponsors?" I asked.

"You look pretty. You act pretty." He said, as if it was the easiest thing on the planet. I begged to differ.

"And Im going to help you do that", He said, looking straight into my eyes.

"Good luck with that", I muttered. He smirked.

"I like you." He said, nodding. "We're going to do the first stage with magic. Then I'm going to use my muggle techniques and make you gorgeous."

"Muggle techniques?"

"I'm muggleborn", Charley nodded. "All of us beauticians are muggleborn." Oh Malfoy was just going to love that.

And beauticians was a horrible word.

"Right. How long is this going to take?" I asked, sitting down at the edge of the bed after testing it.

"Why? Do you have somewhere to be?" Charley asked, shutting the door behind him. On a normal occasion, I would've been scared of the situation. But Bloodlust wasn't a normal occasion. And I was going to die anyway.

I cracked a smirk. "Well I was going to have lunch with my friends but you know- I have a date with death instead."

He smiled and brought out his wand, waving it over me and muttering some unfamiliar incantations. My skin almost immediately began burning and I bit down on my lip. What was he doing? Frying me? I gripped the bedsheets and squeezed my eyes shut.

A few painful moments later, the burning stopped. I looked down at my arm and instantly knew what he had done. He had magically waxed me. Joy.

"You need a catch-phrase", He said, sitting down in front of me on a chair he pulled up from the side.

"A catch phrase?" I folded my legs under me and felt my jeans form what felt static against my skin.

"Yes, something that describes you in a few words. We're going to be making a costume for you depending on that."

"Like what, buck-toothed bookworm?" I commented, drily.

"If you like", He laughed. "I could get you a pair of large-framed glasses and give you the sexy librarian look." Was this guy serious. Was he ACTUALLY serious?

"Please don't." I said, not finding the situation funny at all.

"Okay, let's move to colors instead. Which color do you want?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Red", I answered instantly.

"Griffindor all the way", He commented, writing it down. I didn't even try and deny it. If I had to choose something to describe me, it would either be brains or my house. And since I don't fancy going public with anything resembling a brain as my costume, I stuck to the latter.

"Make it a fiery red color", I added. Hey, if he was going to be doing this- he better do it right.

His eyebrows scrunched up together as he thought. He then bent over his parchment and began scribbling on it. When he looked up to me, the corner of his lips twitched upwards and his eyes were shining. "When a fire burns, it smokes upwards, doesn't it? Against gravity?" I shrugged- yeah, so? "You're like fire- fiery and fierce and blazing. It's red."

"Whats your point?" I asked, really not seeing any.

"Hermione Granger- the Girl Against Gravity." He said, grinning. I thought about it for a second before I felt myself start to smile too.

"I like it."

"Okay then. That was quicker than I expected. There will be a celebration tomorrow evening for the tributes in front of the entire Wizarding World of purebloods and the elite", Charles said. Something about the way he said 'Elite' made me look up at him. Properly. He had practically spat out the word. The Elites referred to the death-eaters and Voldemort's followers.

"What happens?" I asked.

"You show yourself off. You make an impression. You shine." He answered, leaning back in his chair. "I'm going to help you do that."

I nodded. "And the others?"

"They'll be doing the same." He said. "But I'm going to make you stand out."

"Won't all the beauticians be saying that to their respective tributes?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

He cracked a smile. "Well, yes. But mark my words, you WILL shine."

"Do I get to meet the other tributes today? What time is it anyway?" I asked, looking around for any sign of a clock.

"It's eight thirty right now. I'll be taking you to your quarters if there's nothing else you wish to discuss." Charles said, standing up. I stood up and followed him out the door. He held out his hand.

I stared at it and then raised my eyes for an explanation.

"I'm apparating you to your quarters." He said.

"Apparating?" As far as I knew, only top-rank death eaters were allowed to apparate in and out of Hogwarts.

"Yea, I've been allowed past the wards." He said, nodding towards his arm, gesturing for me to hold it. Sighing, I held my hand out and placed it lightly on his sleeve. With the familiar tug of the navel, we apparated away.

I didn't sleep that night. It was a queen sized bed. Soft and comfortable. Probably the best bed I've ever lay down on. The pillows were perfectly fluffed. The room was magnificent. Red and orange stripes for the wall and a rich purple for the carpeted floor. Showers like no other with soaps of a hundred different fragrances. But I didn't sleep. How could I?

I was going to die. That was the simple, plain, pathetic, sad fact. I was going to die. Somehow brutally murdered in my sleep in some unknown location while my friends watched. Would I fight back? Yes. Would I win? Probably not.

I had promised Harry and Ron. I had promised them that I would try. And I would. I would try to. I wouldn't go down without a fight even if I died trying. Which I probably would.

So when I walked in at eight for breakfast at the Hogwarts' quarters of the building we were in, all the adults looked at my tired face and dark eye-circles disapprovingly. I shot a fake, sugar-sweet grin at them before plopping into the seat beside Seamus.

"Did you sleep?" He asked, biting into a piece of toast. Considering everyone was almost done eating, I was probably late. See if I cared.

"Did you?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. He grunted.

"Not even for a minute." He shook his head.

"Same here." I said. "Same probably for the rest of them too."

"Attention, attention!" A tall, thin woman with too much make-up and bright blue robes stopped at the front of our long table. "Preparation for tonight's introductory ceremony will begin in an hour- take your showers, eat up and get ready to leave with your beauticians!" She clapped twice, giving us a smile that made me sick to the stomach. Was everything about her so fake? Probably.

Seamus hugged me tightly before standing up and saying, "Ill see you tonight, yeah?" I nodded and he left to get ready. I leaned back in my seat, popping a grape into my mouth. Hey, I was going to die anyway. Might as well take all the advantage I could before going. It was then that I noticed the boy sitting two seats diagonal to me. Draco Malfoy. I hadn't seen him since the selection of the tributes and he already looked exhausted. He hadn't touched his food and seemed to be in a daze, only snapping out of it when Pansy nudged him from the side.

"Eat up, Malfoy- you're going to need your energy to deal with the big bad war waiting for us out there." I found myself saying and he looked at me. The corner of his lips pulled up into his familiar smirk and he stared at me for a second before reaching for an apple from the fruit basket in front of him. Pansy looked towards me and opened her mouth to say something but she seemed to change her mind last minute and turned away, concentrating on her breakfast plate instead.

I smiled at Hannah, not quite wanting to speak to anybody in particular before pushing my chair back and returning back to me room. I sat on the bed, my head in my hands. The next time I looked up was when there was a knock on the door and without waiting for my permission to 'enter', Charley Avons himself entered.

"It's nine fifteen." He said, closing the door behind him. I looked straight at him and raised an eyebrow challengingly. He chuckled. "I came over because I knew you wouldnt come out."

"Forgive me for not wanting to look better for the people who are going to try and kill me in three days." I said, flopping onto my back on the soft mattress.

"You know I don't enjoy this, right?" Charley asked, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "I hate what they're doing."

"Cant they hear what we say?" I asked, surprised that he was being so straight forward. Or maybe it was a plan to get me to like him more?

"Not people on their side. They trust too easily. But they have leverage against me, I guess." He shrugged.

"What leverage?" I asked, sitting back up again.

"They'll just kill me." He said and then smirked. I looked at him for a second before feeling a smile creep on to my face.

"How are you so casual about it?" I was genuinely curious because he sounded genuinely truthful.

"Ive learnt to accept my fate, Hermione." He said, his eyes holding a hint of sadness. "Im okay with what I do but that doesn't make me okay with what they do to you all. I'm happy doing my work but I'd be fine if they killed me too. It would save me from- watching." He looked at her. "If I didn't care, I wouldnt be trying so hard for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't get payed. I do this if I want to live. I work with them to survive. It's up to me if I want to make you look good and impress people. If I didn't care, I wouldnt try to get you to make an impression. But I do care. Im human after all. I need you to win this. And Im going to do everything I can to help." He looked so sincere that I was beginning to believe him. A part of me already did.

I sighed and stood up. "Let's get started then." He smiled at me before nodding and holding his arm out. I took it and he apparated us to a room completely different from last time's. This one had bright orange walls and a white carpet and much, much larger. Looking at the glass wardrobes and posh furniture, I wondered how much they had spent on this one room alone.

This is probably where all the poor people's money goes, I thought, snorting inelegantly.

"Not up to your taste?" He asked, smirking as he sat down on one of the comfortable soft-looking chairs. They did look rather soft. He motioned for me to sit across him. I did. Yes, soft indeed.

"It's a bit too much." I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust. "So, why do we need eight hours to get ready?"

"We do this mostly the muggle way, remember?" Charley said, siting back and propping his legs on to the desk between us. "I start with measurements and ideas. You select one of the many I come up with. You go for lunch and when you come back, the dress will be ready and then we work on the shoes. It'll be two by the time we're done and then we get started on your-" He gestured vaguely to my head, "-what you call hair."

"God, you sound like Malfoy." I muttered, recalling the number of times he had insulted my hair.

"Draco Malfoy?" Charley inquired, laughing. I nodded, not seeing how it was funny. "Are you both friends?"

"Oh, the best." I answered, sarcastically. He laughed louder and nodded. "Anyway, go on."

"Then we'll get your face all prettied up although I don't think much will be needed." He said. "It'll be five by the time we're done and-"

"It'll take three hours to do my hair and face?" I asked, disbelievingly. Was I that bad looking?

He shrugged. "It might finish earlier. Anyway, you get dressed by seven and be backstage in the introductory ceremony theatre by seven thirty."

"Where I'll meet all the other tributes?"

"Where you'll meet the Hogwarts students. At the after-party, you'll meet the other tributes personally."

I wasn't planning to even look in their general direction.

"I can't do this!" I said, trying but failing to zip the back of the dress up.

"Are your arms that short?" Charley joked from the other side of the partition.

"Shut up, Charley!" I snapped. "I'm not talking about the dress although I can't do this dress either."

"Do this dress?" He laughed.

"I mean zip it up!" I said, feeling highly tired and frustrated after the long day. He had pulled and cut my hair, layered my face and then shoved me behind a partition with my dress without even letting me see the results of the makeover. I had the right to be pissed!

"Come on out and I'll help you." He said and holding up the front of the dress and I stepped out. He gestured for me to turn around and I did. "Suck your breath it."

"Whats the point of a dress if it's going to be tight?" I grumbled but did what he asked. I heard the zip slide up and I released my breath. "Hey, it isn't tight." I said, a smile on my face.

"What can I say? I'm brilliant." He grinned. "And you-" He gave me a once over, "- look bloody gorgeous."

"There's a first time for everything," I said.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, you were gorgeous even before. You're just a little more now." He said. Oh did I mention? I had actually begun liking and feeling comfortable around Charley sometime during the ten hours of beautifying.

"So can I see myself then?" I asked.

"Be my guest." He moved his tall frame away from the mirror behind him and I could do nothing but gape at the reflection in front of me.

"Is- is that me?" I asked stupidly. Yes, Hermione Granger had a 'stupid' moment but like I said, there's a first for everything.

"Yes it is, darling." Charley said and I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

I stared at myself. That couldn't be me! The girl in the mirror was not Hermione Granger. Nope, definitely not.

"It's you, Hermione, believe it." Charley said quietly, obviously sensing that I was a little- okay, extremely- shocked.

Charley had cut my hair into layers, though kept it at the same height. He didnt give me a fringe because it would bother me during the games but he did straighten my hair. It wasnt completely straight, though. It was more of a soft-straightening which made my hair look like it still had volume. That wasn't it. He had streaked my hair with a dark red colour that despite the dark brown of my hair, stood out. He hadn't layered my face as much as I thought he had- just dark eyeliner that made my eyes stand out and a light pink lipstick and blush. And of course, my complexion was a shade lighter thanks to powder and foundation. For once, I didn't mind the revolting products on my face.

My eyes moved south to my outfit and my jawed physically dropped. It would have been unattractive had my new look not compensated. The dress was a scarlet red strapless with netted golden straps holding the dress up by connecting around my neck with the covered back of the dress. It dropped till my knees at the front and touched the ground at the back. A golden, sparkling net similar to the straps acted as a second layer to the entire dress but flowed down to the floor even at the front, though with a deep slit at the side.

Charley came forward and with one swift movement, twisted my hair into an elegant up-do and pinned it with a gold shiny clip. This emphasized my face and shoulders and made me look only more... Beautiful?

"Wow, Charley, I don't know what to say." I breathed, still amazed.

"You don't have to say anything." He said, smiling at me through the mirror. "It's almost seven- let's get you into your shoes." I spun around, feeling my dress spin with me. And as much as I hated to admit, I loved the feeling.

My eyes widened as soon as I spotted the shoes. "No! I cannot wear those!"

"You don't have a choice." Charley smirked, pushing me into the chair I had occupied when I entered earlier. I stared down at the shoes. They were simple matching-red wedges elevated atop transparent blocks in the shape of an extension to the wedges' soles.

"One, they're too damn high. Two, they're not the prettiest I'm sorry. I mean-" I gestured to the blocks, "-Who wears those on their feet? It looks like I have ice slabs stuck to the soles of my shoes!" And it looked exactly like that.

"You're talking to Charley Avons, my dear. Put them on and watch my magic." He said, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He had a point. He wouldn't make such a massive mistake with shoes after making me look so... Glamorous.

I slipped them on and he held his hand out and I grabbed it, pulling myself to my feet.

"Perfect." He said, his smile turning into a full, large grin. I furrowed my eyebrows and followed his line of sight down to my shoes. I wasn't too sure what he was looking at and he obviously realized because the next second, I was looking at the mirror once again. And gaping. Again.

The transparent blocks had disappeared, making it appear as if I were walking on nothing but air.

"How..." I said, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight of me floating on air.

"I didn't do the entire thing the muggle way. I may have used a bit of magic." He said. "You like it?" My grip on his hand tightened.

"It's amazing. It's unbelievable." I said, truly meaning it. I turned around and grinned.

"The Girl Against Gravity." He said, nodding.

My mind returned to my original worries. "I can't do this!" I said, panic settling at the bottom of my stomach once again. "I can't! I am going to trip in these high heels or I'm going to say something stupid or snort or pass some smart-ass comment that only I can appreciate or- I don't know! I just can't do this!"

Charley sighed and lead me to the chair and sat me down, sitting across me still holding my hands in his. "You are one of the bravest girls I've ever met, Hermione. What you did for Ginevra Weasley and then for the Parkinsons- I never thought I'd ever see someone so brave. You are a Griffindor through and through. If there's anybody who can make it through today, it's you. You are beautiful, you are intelligent and you will sure as hell shine out there."

"Charley, I-"

"Hermione, what did you promise Ron and Harry?"

"That I'd try and win." I choked out, feeling a lump in my throat.

"And try you will, isn't it?" I nodded numbly. "If not for yourself, you go out there and do this for them. And I know that you can. I believe in you so much."

And without knowing what came over me- really, I don't know what it was- I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. I wasn't the type to go hugging people. Especially not people working for the games. But Charley was different. He had proved it to me.

And if it were all lies? It wouldn't matter. I'd believe that he was being genuine and let it help me even if he wasn't.

"Thank you, Charley." I whispered and felt him hold me tightly.

"You can do this. For me, for them, for yourself."

So there, an extra long chapter for some extra brilliant readers :) For those who were wondering, Harry hasn't been killed because the death eaters aren't after him now- they're after everybody and they know that if they killed The Harry Potter then there would be a rebellion against them. I do hope you all enjoyed this! Thank you all so much for being patient with me and waiting so long. Please please keep reviewing! The box down there is waiting for you!

Love always and see you next chapter,

Feltonlewis xx


	3. The World Beyond The Glass

**Bloodlust 3 (The world beyond the glass)**

**Hi friends :) Welcome back to Bloodlust and I hope you enjoy it! Do check out the A/N at the bottom! Have fun reading (and hopefully reviewing!) xx**

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"You're up next." Charley said, sitting down beside me backstage in her private make-up room.

"Am I the last one?" I asked.

"You have Draco Malfoy after you, followed by Pansy Parkinson and Seamus Finnigan." I nodded, resuming the fidgeting of my fingers. He placed his hand on top of both of mine, stilling my movement. "Don't do that. It makes you look weak and we really don't want that."

The door opened and a man entered, dressed in black slacks and a black shirt. "You need to go up."

Charley jumped to his feet and held his hand out for me to take. "I'll be right there for you, Hermione." Thank god for reassuring words, right? I sighed, taking his hand and I steadied myself for a moment before walking out with him.

I had to do this. I had to do well. No, I had to do brilliant. I couldn't be snarky or sarcastic. I couldn't be rude. I had to be perfect. Basically, I couldn't be myself.

"Remember, just answer the questions he asks but at the same time try and-"

"Make an impression." I completed. "I know. I heard you the eight time you said it." I saw a look of hurt flash through his eyes and I turned to him. "I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge here, is all." And I was!

"I understand." Did he really? Was this the last day he was going to have before being plunged into a completely dark world where he was going to have to slaughter other people? Did he really understand? Did anybody who wasn't a tribute really understand?

But I nodded any way.

"Please put your hands together for Hermione Granger and though a catch phrase wasn't required, her beautician Charley Avons calls her- the Girl against Gravity!"

I was too busy shaking to bother with telling Charley off about the unnecessary catch-phrase. My hands began shaking and Charley gripped them tightly. "Be strong, Hermione. You can do this." I didn't even get the chance to respond as I was ushered on to stage and had only a second to compose myself before flashes of light and glamour were shone in my face.

"There she is, ladies and gentlemen, Hermione Granger!" The man on stage said, standing up and applauding. I took a moment to study him. He, like the lady at breakfast earlier, had 'fake' written all over his face. Make-up was layered on to his face and his blue-tinged grey hair was loose over his shoulders and he was dressed in an obscenely expensive looking suit.

I then turned my eyes over to the audience, except thanks to the bright flashing camera and stage lights, I could hardly make anything out. I could, though, see the first row of people and they happened to be my opponents. They also, I noted, were looking at my expectantly.

"Uh- could we turn down the lights?" I asked, saying this first thing that came to my mind.

The host began coughing and I knew he was trying to cover his laughter. Real funny. I was serious.

"Okay, could we please have the intensity of the lights lowered!" He exclaimed, a smile on his face. The audience chuckled and I went up to sit down beside the host. Whose name I had conveniently forgotten. I really should have listened better when Charley was speaking to me about the event.

"Jeremiah Franklin, though I doubt you didn't know already." He said, leaning forward in his seat and holding his hand out. I shook it, reminding myself that this was absolutely necessary.

"I didn't actually." I said and the audience promptly began laughing. Death-eaters laughed? Hm. Point to be noted.

"Oh, very witty." Jeremiah said, nodding.

Don't kill me Charley. "That wasn't wit. It was the truth. I was kind of not listening when Charley was briefing me."

More laughter. This wasn't so bad. I cracked a smile and so did Jeremiah.

"So tell us, Hermione. How do you feel you're going to do in the games?" He asked, leaning back in his seat.

"I don't know, to be honest. It's hard to tell. No one's really sure when they're going to be stabbed in their sleep so-" I shrugged. Honesty's the way to go.

"Do you think you can win?" He asked.

"I don't know if I can win but I sure as hell am going to try." My expression turned serious.

"What did you tell your friends when you saw them for the last time?"

"That I would try and win." I said and the audience grew completely silent. "I promised my best friends that I'd try and win."

Jeremiah placed his hand on mine and nodded. "That's a very brave promise to make. Any message for your sponsors?"

"I'm not entirely sure about the concept of sponsors but from what Charley's told me- I'm going to give you a show worth betting on." I said, swallowing hard. It was the right thing to say, I realized, when the audience burst into applause. Sponsors basically betted on you and the money would be used to get you things you needed. If the tribute the death-eater betted on wins, he gets back twice the amount of money he placed and if he loses, well, the money's gone.

"Well, we wish you all the best, Hermione. Another round of applause, audience!" He threw his arms in the air dramatically and the entire audience, save for the first row, were on their feet, clapping

"Am I supposed to be leaving?" I asked, standing up. "Because I had a trick I needed to show everyone." I can't believe I was doing this. I can't believe Charley was making me do this.

Make an impression. Make an impression. Make an impression.

"Oh, do show us." Jeremiah chuckled, stepping away from me. I took a deep breath and keeping my center, I began spinning in circles and soon the audience was gasping. My dress had begun sparkling from head to toe and my shoes had turned a shade brighter, giving the impression that I was twirling on thin air. I stopped and held my arms out to steady myself.

"That is why they call me the Girl Against Gravity." I gave a tight lipped smile before bowing and walking off stage.

Charley was waiting there to gather me in his arms and spin me around.

"Im so proud of you. You did so brilliantly that I'm willing to forgive you for not listening to me." He glared at me playfully before putting me down and I realized suddenly that I was grinning broadly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Draco Malfoy!"

"Let's get you to the front row then, come on." Charley said, taking my hand and leading me through a corridor before ushering me out into the audience's first row. I ended up sitting beside a girl with bright red hair and green eyes. Her hair was loose over her shoulders and her dress was a pale yellow knee-length strapless. She looked much younger than me. Much, much younger, I realized, studying her openly.

"Do you know him?" She asked, turning to look at me. I looked at what she was nodding her head towards and realized that she was speaking about a certain Malfoy, who was sitting on stage in a shiny black suit and emerald green tie. There wasn't much you could do with guys' outfits, I suppose.

"Yeah, I do. He's from the same school as me." I responded.

"Hogwarts?" I nodded. "I'm from Jawstens. Calyx- I'm thirteen. Fourteen in a week." She held her hand out and I shook it.

"Hermione." I said, trying to keep the smile on my face. She was just thirteen. At her age, I was in my third year of Howgarts. So young...

"So Draco, tell us- do you think you can win?" My attention was brought back to the stage where Malfoy was seated, leaning back in his seat comfortably, a smirk plastered on to his face.

"I do, actually." He said, arrogantly but something- I couldn't quite place what- told me that he was definitely not as confident as he looked. Perhaps it was knowing him for so many years and being able to differentiate between real arrogance and fake arrogance. I wasn't entirely sure. But I knew this wasn't the confident Draco Malfoy we all knew. He was scared. But then again, who wasn't?

"Well, we wish you the best of luck, Draco." Jeremiah shook his hand and they stood up. "Do you have any tricks for us?" The man laughed.

"No, that's just Granger for you." He smirked and I could have sworn he looked right at me for a second. "Always got a trick up her sleeve. If I don't win, someone from Hogwarts definitely will." With that, he gave a curt and charming- yes, it was rather charming- bow before leaving the stage.

"Draco Malfoy, everybody! And now we have our next tribute from Hogwarts- Pansy Parkinson!"

Within moments, somebody slid into the seat beside me and I looked to my side to see Malfoy himself.

I didn't say a word, choosing instead to watch the stage. Pansy stepped out, dressed in a forest green floor length halter-neck gown, her hair held back using pins but not tied. She had a nervous smile on her face as she shook Jeremiah's hand and sat down.

"She looks too nervous." I heard Malfoy mutter beside me and I glanced at him.

"Weren't we all?"

"I wasn't." He said, not sparing me a glance.

"Weren't you though?" I challenged, looking back at the stage. "You had that arrogant, cocky expression on your face but Malfoy, you're forgetting that I've known you for nine years now. I can tell between a real expression and a fake one. You're just as scared as the rest of us."

He looked at me. "Scared as the rest of you? Afraid of the big bad Bloodlust, Granger?"

I smirked, finally looking back at him. "Not even going to deny it, Malfoy."

"Showing weakness in front of the enemy. Interesting." He said, smirking back.

"You're not the enemy any more. We know each other for too long to be enemies at Bloodlust."

"I'm not sure I follow." He shook his head.

"If we come face to face in the arena, is what I'm talking about. We won't end up being able to kill each other." I said, looking back in front. "That's why we're not enemies."

"You may not kill me, Granger, but I won't hesitate to do what it takes to win this." Despite the coldness of the words, they didn't hold enough of the Malfoy malice for me to actually believe them.

If there was one thing I inferred from today, it was that while the Hogwarts and Jawstens' tributes were somewhat okay, the Durmstrangs and Delists' tributes were going to be the ruthless, cold-hearted killers in the arena. Beauxbatons, I wasn't entirely sure yet.

Lying down on my bed, absolutely exhausted after the long day, I went over the tributes I could remember.

One that really stood out from Durmstrangs was the one and only Viktor Krum. Yes, the very same one from fourth year. His catch phrase was 'The Victor'. Appropriate. Judging from his improved physical build, he had obviously been working out for the Arena. He wasn't the only one, though. The other three men from their school- Roger Harvey, Fiere Dartmouth and Morgan Cortaroid- were all aged between seventeen and nineteen and had big, blurry builds. Or maybe that was just natural for Durmstrangs students.

The Delists' tributes consisted of two girls and two boys, not very rememberable save for their cold features that told you in an instant that they would not hesitate to kill you.

The Beauxbatons' tributes were the ones I'd name 'silent killers'. They were quiet. Soft-spoken. Dainty. Gorgeous. They all reminded me of Fleur but there was something about them- every of the four girls aged between fifteen and nineteen- that chilled me to the bone. I couldn't exactly pin-point it but I felt that they would do anything it took to win. We all would, yes, but they seemed to be the type to befriend you and then stab you in the back. Literally.

The tributes from Jawstens were the nicer group. By 'nicer' I mean that they didn't give you the impression that they wanted to kill you every time they looked your way. Perhaps that was because the youngest tribute was thirteen- Calyx- while the oldest tribute was just sixteen. The sixteen year old's name was Angela Demarco- blue eyes, short blonde hair. Then there was Diana Reed- fifteen, black long hair and piercing green eyes. There was Calyx and finally there was Kris Reed- fifteen, Diana's twin brother, black hair and dark, instead of green, eyes.

I think it was the Reeds' situation that made my heart ache the most. I understood exactly why Hayley Parkinson had moved to Hogwarts for the tribute selection- it was to avoid this. I couldn't even begin to imagine how it would be to have to be in the same Arena as your sibling- knowing that only one, if any, of you would emerge alive at the end of it.

Then there was them. The Hogwarts Tributes.

I felt tears prick the back of my eyes and blinked rapidly. It had been too long a day and yet this was just the beginning. Soon it would be the end. I would never see Ron and Harry again... Never see Ginny and Neville again. My stomach clenched uncomfortably and my lungs constricted.

I couldn't cry. I had to be strong. There was no way I could get out of this situation so it was no point crying. I had to get a grip of myself! Take one minute at a time. Take one day at a time. And see what happens.

What else could I do, right?

I sat up and threw the pillow across the room angrily. I had never felt so helpless before. I always had options. I always had some kind of control or the other. Or if nothing else, I had my magic. I had my best friends.

And here I was. With Nothing.

I got off the bed, knowing that I wasn't getting sleep tonight either. I opened the door of my room and padded out quietly dressed in a silk red nightgown that reached my knees and a thin matching robe tied loosely over it. I went down the stairs, crossed the dining area and over to the staircase that went up to a room that Seamus had told me about which was basically empty and had two walls made entirely of glass, allowing you to look out to the outside world. Somewhere we weren't allowed to go... So might as well be as close as possible.

I reached the room and froze upon seeing another figure already sitting by the window, staring out, his arms loosely hugging his knees. Malfoy. Shrugging, I went and sat down quietly a good distance away, leaning sideways against the same glass wall he was looking out of and staring out too. We were somewhere that faced muggle civilization, I observed, if the cars and buses zooming through the busy streets were any indication. It seemed awfully noisy and alive for midnight. Must be a friday. What day was it anyway? Funny how easy forgetting something as simple as dates had become lately.

"Muggle place, isn't it?" The boy next to me said and I turned to look at him. His blonde hair was in disarray, as if he had just rolled out of bed and I could see the light from outside reflect off his blue orbs.

"It is." I answered, nodding and looking back out.

"What do they call those things?" He asked and I followed his line of vision to the cars below.

"They're called Cars. The bigger ones are Buses-"

"Like the Knight bus?" He asked and I almost laughed at how curious and surprised he sounded. Almost.

"Yeah. Except it can't squeeze through narrow spaces or go at such sigh speeds. It's... For a lack of better words, normal." I said, watching a couple of people walk drunkenly down the street. I smiled slightly. I had never drank before. Never would, I guess.

There was silence for a few seconds before he spoke. "Were you serious about the enemy thing earlier?" I could feel his eyes bore into me but I didn't look at him.

"I was." I said honestly. "And I'm right. We know each other for too long."

He kept silent. Didn't even deny it. It was because I was right. We wouldn't be able to kill each other in the arena. We may have been enemies for the past eight years. But no more. This was something entirely different. This wasn't a place for petty rivalries.

"Draco?" A trembling voice sounded from the staircase. We both turned to see Pansy Parkinson standing there in a green robe similar to mine except her's was tied tightly around her frame. Malfoy was on his feet and beside her in an instant.

"I can't sleep." She said, her voice breaking as he pulled her into his arms.

Join the gang, Parkinson.

Malfoy left with Parkinson and it left me thinking. One thought was- were they an item? But the main thought was- at this point of time, she was exactly like me. We were in the same boat. No differences. We both had been torn away from everything we loved. We both were being forced into something nobody wanted to watch. Of course, the same thing applied to everyone else but I never actually thought the Slytherin princess and I would have anything in common. Who would have?

I closed my eyes and leant my head against cool glass beside me. A shiver ran down my spine and left behind goosebumps on my skin.

"You and Parkinson an item?" I asked, feeling his presence once again. I could feel one's presence. Interesting. Perhaps I did stand a chance.

Who am I kidding...

He scoffed. "Merlin, no. She's like my sister." A pause and then- "You and Finnigan an item?"

It was my turn to scoff and say, "Gods, no. He's like my brother." I could practically hear him smirk.

"Since when have we been able to carry out a civil conversation?" I wondered allowed.

"I believe it was somewhere after being forced into a game based on cold-blooded murder." He said, stretching his legs out and leaning sideways against the glass across me.

"We have no training, you know? For the games? They decided that it would be better to watch us struggle further with the weapons." I said, wondering how he felt about it. He had no idea how to handle muggle weapons and he wouldn't have an idea all the way until he got his hands on one. Who knew if he would be able to manage one after that either.

"I heard." He said. I looked at him and he looked nonchalant but his eyes reflected a whole lot of conflict.

"Don't shoot yourself with a gun." I said and had it been any other situation, it would have been funny. But I was serious. He'd probably shoot himself while trying to figure out how to work a pistol. For all we knew, that's how half the pureblood tributes would end up dying. Offing themselves.

I had probably never been happier because of my muggle upbringing. I knew how to work a bow and arrow with quite a bit of skill and I knew how guns worked thanks to movies.

"A gun?" He asked, his eyes connecting with mine.

"They're these black weapons that have a little arched trigger and it's basically two thick sections joined together at one end." I said, unsure how to describe it. With my description, though, he'd probably know one when he sees one.

"Right. I have no idea what you're talking about but thanks for the heads up." He said.

"I'm going to go and try to get some sleep." I said, standing up and righting my robes. I saw him look me up and down and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Better Malfoy giving me a once over than some other arrogant, snarky pureblood, I guess.

Ha. I never thought I'd say that in my life. Malfoy had always been THE arrogant, snarky pureblood.

"I probably should too." He said, standing up. We both took one last, longing look at the world beyond the glass before heading down the stairs, him a few steps behind me. Just before we went our different ways, he held his hand out.

I put my hand in his and shook it. "Good luck, Malfoy."

"You too, Granger. May the best one win."

* * *

**Okay so that's done! I know there wasn't much of a description of the other tributes but you'll get to know the relevant ones as the story moves on. So there was a bit of Dramione in this one though not full-on yet and considering its going to be more war-like, there won't be any fluff so don't expect it :P With the next chapter comes entering the arena and the first few deaths. So do look out for the update though I'm not too sure when I'll have it up. **

**Thanks for your patience! Do review pleaseeeeeee! I'd love for you to do so and so would that sweet little box down there (; **

**Love always,**

**FeltonLewis xx**

**Ps: The idea for the sponsors betting thing was from Elleinad on hpff- thank you! :)**


	4. Far From Enemies

**Bloodlust 4: Far From Enemies**

**Welcome back to Bloodlust after a break that was very long so I must apologize. Board exams take up way too much time .**

**Without further ado, enjoy xx**

* * *

"Charley."

The man looked up at me and concern flashed through his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Yes, I was. It was half an hour to midnight. Charley and Evvie, Malfoy's beautician, were sitting together at the dining table and talking so I figured there was no better moment than now. This was the first time I was seeing Evvie from up close and I noticed that she looked much more... Plain... In comparison to the other female beauticians. Other than her snowy white hair that was straight and then fell in large curls over her shoulders, her face was devoid of the layers of make-up that was so visible on the others' faces.

I held out the two envelopes in my hand and Charley glanced at them and then at me questioningly.

"One is for Ron and Harry and the other is for Ginny and Luna. I need you to make sure it reaches them. It's probably the last thing I get a chance to say to them." I said. Charley nodded and took the envelopes and tucked them safely into his coat pocket.

"Draco asked me to do the same." Evvie said softly, patting the inner pocket of her white robe. "For Blaise Zabini and the others. I believe Pansy wanted to but her beautician was afraid of being caught."

"Afraid of being caught?" I asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Evvie nodded.

"If we're caught passing messages between the tributes and their family or friends, they can kill us."

My eyebrows shot up slightly although I should've expected it. "Aren't you afraid?"

"She shares my sentiments towards the games and the 'Elite', Hermione." Charley explained. "She wouldn't mind dying if it meant a better world for us to live in."

"Monique Evlynn Thatcher. My muggle parents named me that." Evvie said. "I'm just Evvie now. They killed my parents- I really have no identity to go by."

"They killed my parents too." I offered. She removed her first and last name because they killed her parents? They must have stolen her identity in a manner worse than she was willing to admit. Maybe. Maybe not. What do I know?

"I'll make sure the letters reach them, Hermione." Charley said. "The games begin tomorrow morning at nine. You should get some sleep."

"I'm going to die anyway. Enough time to sleep then." I said, my face completely blank. To be entirely honest, all I wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry. I was afraid that if I lay down, I would end up doing just that. And I couldn't. I wouldn't.

"You sound so much like Draco." Evvie said, smiling sadly. "He doesn't think he'll last a day in the arena. He's petrified yet he won't show it. He passes it all off with sarcasm and witty comments and dry humor."

"I told him not to shoot himself with a gun." I said drily.

Evvie and Charley shared a smile they thought I didn't see. But I did. Clearly.

"That was sweet of you." Charley commented. He reached out and placed his hand on mine. I didn't withdraw mine. "You should sleep, Hermione. You need energy." I also need to not cry.

"I-"

"You are NOT going to die." Charley said, all traces of humor gone from his face. His lips were in a straight line and his expression was completely serious. "You will not die, you hear me, Hermione? You will survive this and you can win this.

"You're stronger than you think. You're a Gryffindor, remember? You're braver than you think. You've survived one war. You can survive another."

"I have no magic, no friends. I am on my own, Charley. And a huge difference is that this time, there won't be anyone by my side if I win. I would have the deaths of so many people on my hands- blamed on me- and that is not a victory for me, Charley. I'd rather die." I said, feeling a pricking at the back of my eyes.

Charley moved closer to me by leaning over the table. Tightening the grip he had on my hand, he said, "You have to forget about that. This is war. You have to do this for Ginny, Harry, Ron- you have to do this for everyone there. You cannot let someone who will cause more havoc in this place win. Someone who will change the way things are HAS to win and you know that it has to be one of you."

I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the tears slip out beneath my eyelids. I couldn't do this! I couldn't possibly win!

Arms wrapped around my upper body from behind and because of the fact that the grip on my hand hadn't ceased, I knew it was Evvie holding me. And I didn't push her away.

This was probably one of the last hugs Id receive before the games. This was probably the last time I'd see Evvie. Just as there's a first time for a lot of things, there's a last time for more.

* * *

Charley finished braiding my hair tightly and knotting it so it wasn't hanging down my back. The red streaks remained. The straightness remained. The beauty remained. The question was how long it would remain for.

He spun me around and looked at my outfit. It consisted of a black cotton collarless t-shirt and cargo black full pants. There was a tight belt around the waist that didn't really hold anything together but I assume it was more for style- or identification. For example, my belt was black but trimmed with red. I had red as did Seamus. Malfoy and Parkinson had green on their's. The Hufflepuffs had yellow, the ravenclaws had dark blue. The others schools dont have houses so they had one colour for all their tributes- light blue for Beauxbatons, White for Jawstens, Purple for Delists and orange for Durmstrangs.

"You look great." He said. I was going to ask him if it would help me survive the games as I usually did but I should have known better because the next moment, he shook his head and reminded me- "Sponsors. You need to be impressive for the Sponsors. You need to remember that."

We were currently in a small room that was very similar to how the inside of a metal cube would look. A clear, straight tube just big enough for me to stand inside was to our left and it went through the ceiling to what would be the arena. We had been transported to another area after being blindfolded and portkeyed.

Charley took my hands in his and held them tightly. This was it.

"It's eight fifty seven." He said softly. I nodded, my heart beating faster. "In three minutes, you will officially be a part of the games. You will be in the arena. I know that you don't think you can win. But I honestly think you can. You're intelligent, you're brave and you can fight. Your greatest advantage is that you come from a Muggle background. You know about the weapons while the Purebloods probably do not. You can win this. You really really can." I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"Hermione, out there in the arena- you already know it but I'm reminding you- it's going to be ruthless. You're going to watch people get slaughtered. You're going to have to kill." He said the last sentence clearly and slowly. I flinched visibly even though I knew it was true. "You can't allow your emotions to take over at any point. You have to keep moving on no matter what you see or do. You have to lock away all that sensitivity and all your emotions- suppress your feelings and think with your head, not your heart. This is war. And you know better than I do what that means."

He placed his hand on my cheek and I stared into his dark brown sharp eyes. "You can do this. I believe in you. We all believe in you. Come back to us."

A shrill voice rang through the room- "Two minutes remaining."

I suddenly remembered something Zabini had told me. I had to know. "Charley," I whispered, hoping there were no listening devices around. "Somebody told me that since this was the first Bloodlust they've held, they may have made mistakes. Loopholes of some kind. Do you think so?"

"It's hard to tell but I wouldn't rule it out." He said. "It won't hurt to keep a look out."

"Any idea on what I should be looking out for?" I asked. I needed something. Anything.

He thought for a moment before answering, "There has to be some kind of a limit to the arena- it's outer circle, that is. Perhaps if you keep moving outwards- it's possible that you might reach the outer limits. I don't know, though. I'm just taking a wild guess."

"It's all I have and it will have to do. I need to try. Nobody here deserves to die." I shook my head firmly. Contrary to popular belief, not even Malfoy. Nobody deserved this except the people who thought of it.

"One minute remaining." The voice rang through the room again.

I stared at Charley, feeling the urge to burst into tears. He obviously realized and he grabbed my shoulders.

"No! You will not cry, Hermione! You're stronger than that!" He grabbed me into a hug and my arms went around his waist and I held on tightly. It was the final embrace. My final embrace. "Don't let them win. They see you cry, they see you weak- they'll consider it a victory. You cannot let them win. You just can't. Their purpose is to break you before they kill you. Don't let them even touch you." I nodded against his chest, pushing the tears further away with every word he said. "Come back to us."

He pulled away and his hands on my shoulders, he kissed my forehead. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Charley. For everything." I said, swallowing hard. I wondered about the other tributes. How, except for Malfoy, I hadn't seen them since yesterday's ceremony. I wondered about Seamus... If I would ever see him again. And if I did, what the situation would be.

"Thank me when you come back." He said firmly. I nodded and he lead me to the transparent tube and unlocking the door there, he made me stand inside. "Be strong," He said before stepping away from the tube.

I stared at him, taking him in- every feature, every color- before the tube started spinning slowly. I spun around to look at Charley but the walls were beginning to turn opaque and the last thing I saw was a flash of grey before the walls turned black. The platform continued to spin slowly and I felt it rise.

Higher...

Higher...

Higher...

Light.

I blinked a couple of times before my eyes adjusted to the bright light of the morning. Morning, right? What day was it again?

I looked around me and the first thing I saw was Seamus. Perhaps THIS would be the last time we met. He was standing on a circular platform about ten meters away from mine. His eyes were locked with mine and he nodded. I nodded back before taking in the rest of my surroundings. Tall, thick trees surrounded us on all sides and rocks and grass covered the ground in layers. A forest.

The twenty four tributes stood on their platforms in a large circle, each ten meters away from the other. At the center of the circle, what I recognized to be backpacks and weapons were scattered all around. The closest to me was a small black backpack and a bow and a set of arrows. Could I reach it in time?

"Welcome to the arena, tributes. Stay on your platforms until the end of the countdown or you will face your end before the games even begin. 10-"

I took a deep breath and quickly looked around for familiar faces- Seamus. Parkinson-

"9-"

Hannah- Oh, Hannah...

"8-"

Malfoy. Calyx. Viktor.

"7-"

The twins. What they must be going through...

"6-"

The hufflepuff tributes.

"5-"

The ravenclaws.

"4-"

Then there was everybody else. Faces.

"3-"

I prepared myself, my eyes focused only on the requirements lying a short distance away from me.

"2-"

I could do this.

"1-"

Take it day by day.

"Begin!" The sound of a canon blasted through the air and before I had even registered it, I was running.

I was close to the bag and archery set now. So close...

A canon sounded.

Everything else around me- the sight of people tackling each other, the screams, everything- turned hazy and faded away as I sped up. My fingers closed around a strap of the bag. I swung it through my arm. I grabbed the bow and that was looped around my torso in a second. Finally, I grabbed the quiver and spun around to run into the forests behind me.

Another canon.

Adrenalin and a hint of fear pumping through my veins, I ran. Once again, I was at war. I was-

I felt the breath get knocked out of me as I was tackled to the floor. A canon boomed just as my head hit the floor and I was pinned down. I gathered my bearings in a second and kneed my attacker in the back. Dark blonde hair got closer to me as she doubled over and I took that moment to free my arms and flip her over, pinning her down. I raised my fist and punched her across the face. Twice. Blood leaked out of her nose. A third time. I hear her jaw crack. But she was still alive.

Another canon.

I jumped to my feet, grabbed the quiver which had fallen, took one last look at the knocked out girl- she was from Beauxbatons- and sprinted away in the direction I had previously intended on heading to.

As soon as I entered the actual body of the forest, everything fell perfectly silent. And then the sound of a canon booming rattled my bones and I slowed down to catch my breath, wondering what the canons were signals for. Intervals of time passed?

First things first, I had to get deeper into the forest. I would then have to get to higher grounds. I looked up at the tall, sturdy trees. Wouldn't be too difficult.

* * *

I sat with each leg swung over one side of the thick branch. The fear had subsided and it had been replaced with all the feelings that used to run through me during the hunt for horucruxes. Anxiety, paranoia and fatigue. I was probably some thirty five minutes through the game and it had already drained me out. I had to admit, this was worse than anything I had faced before.

Previously, before entering the arena, I had underestimated how it would be without my friends and magic. Now, being in the arena, I knew that it was going to be much worse than I had suspected.

Much much worse.

The sound of a canon shook the entire forest. This was the fifth boom I had heard and I had come to one conclusion- they marked deaths. There were five people dead. Nineteen of us left.

I was alive. And for that moment right then, it was enough.

* * *

"Tributes." I jerked awake and my fingers instinctively tightened around the loaded bow in my hands.

I blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright light of the morning. Wait. Morning? I had survived a day? I had actually managed to live through a day?

Oh, Merlin...

The sound of three canons had woken me up once every time through the night and I had stayed awake for a few minutes, ready to fight or take flight according to any approaching dangers. But nobody and nothing came for me. Thankfully.

So I sat where I was, about twenty meters above ground, tied to the tree. The bag I had picked contained a long length of rope, an empty water bottle and a black plastic sheet. Not much help but it had to do. It was more than I had expected at any rate.

There were sixteen of us remaining. Sixteen... Eight dead. Gone. Slaughtered. Killed...

Just like that. In the matter of twenty- maybe less- hours. They were dead.

"Congratulations on surviving twenty hours in the arena. Perhaps you have figured it out- every canon boom indicates the death of a tribute and if you have been keeping count, there are sixteen of you remaining. We will not be disclosing who the sixteen of you are. Every morning, we will inform you of how many of you have survived the day. Good luck."

I couldnt remain in the same place for so long at a stretch. Well, I could. But I shouldn't. Somebody or the other would stumble upon this area soon enough and I wasn't wiling to be present for that situation. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

I maneuvered my way around in my seated position and untied the rope around my waist. Keeping my balance, I put the rope back into the bag, strapped the bag on tightly on to my back along with the quiver and looped the bow over my head and across my upper body and stretched my limbs carefully before beginning to climb back down.

Thank god for all the camps my parents had sent me for when I was a kid, huh? The ten year old version of me had never thought the skills would ever come in handy. Oh, how wrong I was... How wrong I was.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I took the bow off, loaded it with an arrow and began moving through the forest. Outwards, I reminded myself. I may as well start my search.

A loud grunt made me freeze where I was. It came from my right. It wasn't far off. Another grunt. It sounded... It sounded like somebody was being punched.

Think with your head, Hermione, I told myself. Not your heart. This wasn't a place to think with my heart.

My head told me to run the other way and fast. My heart told me to go see if there was anything I could do. What if it was Seamus? What if it was Calyx? I could save them... I couldn't just leave them there.

But it could also be someone ruthless from Durmstrangs. It could be a group of people who wouldnt hesitate to end me.

Another loud grunt made my decision for me. Gripping my bow and arrow tightly, I made my way towards my right. I finally came across two figures. I stepped behind a tree close to them and looked out, careful not to make a single sound.

The sight that met my eyes almost made me stumble backwards.

I watched as a boy from Durmstrangs- one who had named himself Hulk- slammed Malfoy against the tree behind him, one hand grasping his collar and the other piercing the edge of his dagger into the blonde's throat. Malfoy looked positively petrified. His own dagger lay on the forest floor a little distance away from me. There was no way he would make it out alive.

Unless... No. Why should I save him? He was bound to die. It was either Hulk being a murderer- which I was sure he already was- or me.

But the very prospect of watching someone I knew being killed was horrifying. Was absolutely wrong. And I knew for a fact that I'd forever- until somebody had a dagger lodged in my stomach- have the burden of the guilt of his death on my shoulders. I knew I would end up only blaming myself.

The dagger slit the side of his throat, drawing blood. It was obvious Hulk was speaking to him or else Malfoy would have been dead long before. He would be soon unless I acted. And acted fast.

Swallowing hard, I stepped out from behind the tree to get a better angle. I wouldve rather stayed behind it but I wasn't skilled enough. And I had one shot at this.

Or he'd be dead. And so would I.

I raised the bow and I held my breath to stop myself from shaking. Malfoy's eyes suddenly snapped towards me. I pulled the arrow back. His eyes widened. The knife sliced his throat further. His eyes lost focus.

I relseased the arrow.

Three bodies collapsed to their knees just then.

Hulk fell to his, an arrow lodged into the back of his neck. He then fell forward, his head cracking against a protruding rock. Malfoy scurried a few steps away, clutching his bloody throat. His eyes first stared at Hulk's fallen figure before fixating on me. I had fallen to my knees, breathing deeply, staring at the life I had just taken. And then I looked up at the life I had just saved.

I had saved Draco Malfoy's life. I had taken a life to save Draco Malfoy's.

I stared at the boy and he stared back. I had been right and he had realized it just then- this wasn't a place for petty rivalries. Here, we werent enemies. Far from it.

A canon booming jolted me back to reality and I scrambled to my feet. I moved forward and hands trembling, I took the arrow out of its position in Hulk's neck and without looking at the tip which I knew would be bloody, I put it into the quiver and took out a fresh arrow to load my bow with. With one last look at Malfoy, I turned and sprinted away.

* * *

**There. So first things first- I know that a lot of this was an awful lot like the Hunger Games itself- the forest, the platforms, the bow & arrow, all those- and the thing is I've got a lot of mixed reviews on this. Half of the readers love how I've replaced the HG characters with HP ones and the other half think it should be more original. I'm still sticking to a very close Hunger Games based story like you saw in this chapter BUT as the story goes on, I will be moving further away from it- introducing my own little character perks and all. It will get more original than this. For example, the last bit here ^**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that! It took me a long time to write because I really haven't had time. My exams are still currently going on and it's studying, studying, studying for me :/ But I got this done for you guys so thank you for being patient with me!**

**Love always,**

**FeltonLewis xx**


	5. Drowning Down Under

**Hello readers :) Welcome back to Bloodlust after a long time. Do read the AN below! Enjoy xx**

**Ps: I'm not on my computer because I'm out of town on holiday so formatting might be messed up. Sorry**!

* * *

I had blood on my hands. That was a fact. One I couldn't dodge. I had just killed a man. Killed him. He was probably around my age. Probably had friends. Family. I had killed him.

Charley's words rang through my mind- "You're going to watch people get slaughtered. You're going to have to kill. You can't allow your emotions to take over at any point."

I was doing just that. I knew that somewhere close to my throat, tears were waiting to bubble to my eyes. But I couldn't allow that.

"This is war. And you know better than I do what that means."

I did. This WAS war. And it had finally, properly hit me.

If there was something that made me feel better about the situation, it was that I had saved a life. Saving Draco Malfoy meant that there was a hide chance a Hogwarts student would win. There was a higher chance that one of them would win.

"You haven't killed before, have you?"

I spun around, ready to release the arrow in the bow's hold. But though I was prepared to kill again- this time to save my own life- I knew that this wasn't that much of a threat because if it was, if somebody who wanted to kill me had been behind me, I would've been dead already.

I needed to watch my back.

Bright green eyes shone up at me as I took in the young girl in front of me, standing without a weapon in her hands. Without material of any sort. Her red hair had been tied tightly into a braid and she had her hands clasped behind her back, a small smile in her face.

"Calyx." I said, surprised. I lowered the bow but kept a tight grip on it. Not because of the girl, but for any other threat.

"Hello, Hermione." She said, her voice soft.

"How did you find me?" I asked, a little weary of the situation. Why didn't she have a weapon on her?

"I listened." She smiled wider. Was I that loud? "You weren't loud. I was where that Durmstrangs boy and Draco Malfoy were. I followed the sound of the leaves after you ran. You're very good at keeping yourself hidden."

"This isn't the first war Ive fought." I said, smiling slightly. "Why aren't you carrying a weapon?"

"I chose flight over fight." She said simply, shrugging. "Nobody's found me yet. I stay up there." She looked up at the high branches of the trees.

"Why did you come down? It's dangerous." I said, looking around.

"I know you won't hurt me." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Was that the first time you killed?" I nodded. How could she just trust me like that? "That was very brave of you. Saving Draco Malfoy's life. Any one else would've run."

"I did what I had to." I said, pursing my lips.

"You did the right thing." She said. Even though it was coming from someone a little over five years younger to me, her words were comforting.

"Thank you." I said. "Can we go somewhere else? It isn't safe to be staying around like this."

She nodded, agreeing. "Would you like to join me up in my safe haven?" She asked, looking up again. I readily said yes and we began our climb upwards. She was quick and silent, racing ahead of me but stopping occasionally to wait till I caught up with her. We climbed a bit over halfway up the tree before settling on a sturdy branch that she chose. This was her area of expertise, I guessed.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she spoke up. "I volunteered, you know?"

I turned towards her, shocked. "Why?"

"My best friend was selected first. I remember what you did for Ginevra and volunteered."

"Oh..." Now I just felt plain pathetic. I didn't mean for people to follow my footsteps.

"Dont feel bad." She smiled, as if reading my thoughts. "I'm going to die anyway."

"Don't say that, Calyx. You're very intelligent and-" I started but she shook her head.

"Not that way. I would've died anyway even if I wasn't selected." She said. My eyebrows furrowed together. I didn't quite understand. "I have a serious magical malady. It's incurable. I had three months to live. I'd rather save a life in exchange for mine in that case and Stephanie- my best friend- I explained that to her. I assume Ginevra's reaction was very similar to Steph's. But I did the right thing. If I'm going to die, I want to die fighting. I want to die, doing my part."

Hearing her story- similar to mine in many ways- made me want to cry again. She was just thirteen. Why was life so hard on people? It wasn't her time to leave! Not in the games, not back home! Why would God do that to her? It just wasn't fair! Being sent to death in the games is one thing but being sent to death while living normal life is just a whole other. It was inexplicable. It didn't make sense! It just wasn't her time to leave. She was too young.

"Don't look so sad, please." She smiled sadly, patting my hand. "I'm a little sad but not that much. So you shouldn't be either. You know how I feel."

"Your family?" I asked, holding her hand.

"My parents and sister were killed. Grandma was so proud of me." She grinned. It reminded me of Neville. His family. "She promised she'd stay with Steph. So really, it's alright. I'm going to make them all proud."

"You already have." I said, squeezing her hand. "I'm sure they are and will always be very proud of you. Just try hard to return to them."

She shook her head, the sad smile still on her face. "I'm counting on you to go back. Start a rebellion. Bring the dark side down. You did it once. You can do it again." The confidence in her voice instilled a confidence in myself all of a sudden and I found myself nodding slightly. "You probably will do it again. And from up there-" She pointed to the sky "-I'll be watching everything like a movie."

I felt a smile stretch across my face. "You know what a movie is?" She nodded, grinning. "Have you ever watched one?"

"I've always wanted to!" She said eagerly. "Steph said if I returned, the first thing we'd do is watch a movie together. She's a muggle born."

I scooted closer to her, not letting her hand go. "All the more reason for you to return, Calyx."

* * *

I was being shaken roughly, though by small, gentle hands. My eyes fluttered open and i found myself peering into nervous green eyes.

I sat up quickly, adjusting myself on the branch. "What's going on?"

"Water. At first I could just hear it but I know that we aren't close to a water body so I thought I was imagining it but then-" The young girl spoke quickly, her words tumbling over each other. She broke off and pointed down at the grounds below us. Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked down and my eyes widened as I took in the water that was increasing in depth below us.

"What in hell?!" I exclaimed, beginning to pack our things.

"I thought we should be okay up here but I wanted to wake you up in case you wanted to move?" She asked, staring, as I was, at the water.

"No, you're right, staying here while the water height increases is probably the best idea. Can you swim, though?"

She looked up at me and the fear in her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

"We'll stay here, Calyx. The water can only go so high." I said, hoping I was right. She nodded and moved closer to me. We packed our belongings tightly and held on to it.

A few long minutes passed before Calyx sat up suddenly. Alert. "I- I don't think this is it."

"What do you mean?"

"Is it odd that I can hear waves?" She asked, biting her lower lip. I listened hard and was surprised to hear the very distant sound of crashing waves. How Calyx has picked it up amazed me but I guess this is what she meant by "I listened."

"I can hear them too." I said. And suddenly, the sound of crashing and breaking waves got louder. More water swept out beneath us and Calyx looked at me with fearful eyes.

"The game-makers are having some fun. Nobody's died the whole night. They're trying to wash people up closer together or kill them themselves. These won't be ordinary waves, Hermione." She said, her voice strangled.

"They won't kill us." I shook my head firmly. And I meant it. We had survived this long and Merlin, I most definitely refused to get killed now. Not by a measly wave.

I strapped my backpack on tightly to my shoulders and looped the bow around my torso. I tied the quiver to my backpack tightly with the rope I had and made sure the arrows were firmly inside it. I glanced out in the direction of the waves and noticed a - not exactly measly- wave of water break near us. It's water sprinkled all over us and I heard Calyx whimper slightly.

I locked eyes with her and held my arms out open in front of me. She looked at my questioningly and I smiled. "I'm not letting you go." She smiled back before quickly scooting towards me and wrapping her arms around my neck and gripping on to the quiver for me. I put my arms around her smaller frame and held her tightly.

We heard the sound of water rushing and breaking through everything in its way and I looked up in time to see a large wall of water towering above us. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and registered Calyx doing the same before we were submerged entirely under the suffocating liquid.

We were ripped away from the tree almost instantly and taken with the wave. Arms tightened around my neck. My grip on the girl wrapped in my embrace tightened. The waters calmed and we pushed upwards, kicking with our feet, to break the surface of the murky liquid. Just before we could take a breath, another wave crashed above us, pushing us further down. The pressure increased above us and it got increasingly difficult to breathe.

I forced my eyes open and ignoring the stinging, I looked around. We were close to the forest floor now and it was obvious we needed air. Calyx was doing a fine join of holding her breath but I knew we wouldn't hold out for very much longer. I began kicking my way up but I realized suddenly that beyond a point, I was not moving further upwards. Calyx opened her eyes and noticed this too and we both looked down.

Panic flooded through our veins as we studied the strong vine wrapped around my ankle. I gave it a strong tug but it refused to budge. A tug that almost detached my leg from my body. The vine remained. It was another of the Death-Eaters' tricks.

I looked up at Calyx and noticed that she was struggling with her breath. I made a quick decision and removed my arms from around her. I grabbed anything holding her to me and with a strong shove, I pushed her away from me. She stared at me, shaking her head. I pointed upwards and pushed her again and she began kicking her way to the surface.

I felt the last of my saved breath escape through my nose and I felt my vision starting to black out. But I refused to give up. I grabbed an arrow from my quiver and reaching over, I began stabbing and cutting the vine. A rush of adrenalin later, the vine finally came lose, I tugged my leg free and despite my lungs screaming at me to give up- telling me I couldn't make it- I kept pushing upwards, my arms and legs aching madly.

And finally- my head shot out of the surface of the water and I took in all the air I could. I struggled to remain floating with my bow and quiver and backpack but I was alive and at that moment, I was thankful.

"Hermione!" My head whipped to the right where a little distance away, Calyx was sitting on the branch of a tree near the water surface, clinging to it tightly.

Without wasting a moment, I swam- rather thrashed- my way to the tree and the red-haired girl helped me on to another branch beside her's.

I collapsed, breathing heavily. The waters were finally calm and it didn't look like any waves were going to crash upon us any time soon. For the time being, we were safe. I turned my throbbing head to my young companion and saw her staring at me, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Thank you." She said, leaning over and clasping my hand in her smaller one.

I smiled back, unable to say anything. They hadn't defeated us. They had tried. But they weren't able to take us down. Perhaps... Perhaps there was still hope.

* * *

**Oh lord. That was a tiring chapter to write... Like all of the other Bloodlust ones xD this story is going to be the end of me, I swear! BUT I hope it was worth it! I know I take longest to update this story but with reason! It requires the most thinking and planning and since its written in first person, requires that extra thought.**

**Do review and let me know what you thought of this. I introduced you further to Calyx. I love her. And I brought in that slight originality of storyline with the floods- like a lot of you wanted but kept the HG part of Rue as well- like those of you who wanted me to follow HG wanted. So I'm working like this.**

**You guys have been great to me, reviewing so much!**

**You shall see Draco again next chapter so see you there ;) Do do do keepm reviewing, it would mean the world to me.**

**Much love,**

**feltonlewis xx**


	6. Hole In The Heart

**Bloodlust 6: Hole In The Heart**

**Hi readers! Haha I'm on the Bloodlust writing spree :D I have completed almost 19 chapters in the past week and a half. Enjoy this one xx**

* * *

"Attention, tributes!" My eyes shot open and I sat up, the bow and arrow ready in my hands. I relaxed when I realized it was just an announcement. I took in my surroundings- Calyx was sitting on the branch beside me, slicing at a leaf with a sharp stick of wood she had shaped using an arrow; the water beneath had subsided immensely- the game makers had probably vanished most of it- only leaving puddles here and there on the forest floor; it was night-time, a full moon in the sky and a thousand shining stars.

"Congratulations to those who survived the floods we unleashed on you today. We admit it was harsh-" Calyx and I both scoffed "-but it was required to keep the games moving. The cannons were probably not heard by most of you due to the loud waves- two of the tributes have died today. Thirteen of you remain. The next trick shall be implemented a few days later so you have until then to prepare yourself for the worst. That is, if you survive until then. Good night to you all."

"Only two dead?" Calyx said, her eyebrows furrowed together. "That's a small number for such a huge wave of destruction. Everyone must be very strong."

"Definitely." I agreed. She was right. It wasn't just the huge wave but also all the added tricks like the tangling vines which I had the misfortune of facing. "I don't think they'll spring any surprises on ustonight, do you?"

Calyx shook her head. "I doubt that they will. The floods were bad enough and they already said the next one would be in a few days."

"It's been a long day. I already caught up with some sleep. You sleep- I'll keep watch." Calyx didn't argue. For the next six hours, I fought to keep my eyes and ears open.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be leaving our positions?" Calyx asked as we put our things together.

"We don't have a choice, Cal. We need food or we're sure to pass out soon. Our bodies are too weak from being thrown around." I began climbing down the tree we had been on, bow and quiver strapped to my back while Calyx took the backpack. We began trekking through the forest once again, looking for any sign of food- dead or alive.

Half-way through our journey, which was moving towards what I hoped was the edge, we heard voices.

Calyx grabbed my hand and pulled me to the hidden side of a clearing where two figures stood.

"No..." Calyx whispered as Kris Reed stared straight at the blonde nineteen year old from Delists. The girl stood holding a gun in her hand and it was pointed straight at Kris.

"Hands in the air, I want to be sure you have no weapon." The Delists' tribute said, her voice shaking just a bit.

"You can do whatever you want, I'm not going to put my hands in the friggin' air. I'm not afraid of you." Kris spat, his hands clenched at his sides. He obviously didn't have a weapon on him.

"Any last words?" The girl asked. And without waiting for a response, she squeezed the trigger. What happened after that was a complete blur. My eyes widened as a figure flew out of the trees and threw herself in front of Kris. Everyone stood shocked as Diana Reed fell to the floor, a hole in her heart. It all seemed like it was happening in slow motion. Kris caught his twin in his arms and looked up with furious eyes. The sound of two gunshots echoed around the forest and Kris fell backwards, one hole in his heart and the other in his shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud, his sister still clutched to him.

I hadn't noticed that Calyx was no longer beside me until I looked back at the Delists' tribute, only to see Calyx standing behind her- one of my arrows lodged into the blonde's back. Calyx clutched the other end, rage and unadulterated pain in her eyes. The tribute dropped her gun and fell to her knees and Calyx picked up the gun and yanked the arrow out. The tribute tried to scramble to her feet, gasping for breath but without a second of hesitation, Calyx had shot her. The same way the nineteen year old had shot the twins. Straight through the heart.

Time stood still just then. Five bodies in the clearing. Only two hearts beating. The gun slipped from Calyx's fingers and clattered to the floor. One slow step after the other, I watched as she reached her friends. She fell to her knees beside them. She doubled over. And she cried.

I could say nothing. I could do nothing. At times like this, there is nothing one can do to make it better. The pain hits. And it stays. It does not go no matter what words are spoken. No matter what reason is given.

After long moments where I watched her body shake with now-silent sobs, I moved up to the twins' fallen figures. I pulled them slightly apart but left Diana in Kris' arms. I placed her head on the ground beside his, their faces touching, her arm around his stomach. His arms around her. I gently closed their eye-lids, leaving my fingers lingering for a second and sending up a silent prayer for them to reach the heavens safely. Together.

"Calyx." I said softly, my throat dry. "We need to go. The others would have heard the gunshots. There may be people around. We need to leave."

"Hermione-" She cried, sitting up straighter and running her fingers through her friends' hairs. We both tried to ignore the blood leaking out of the bullet wounds in their chests.

"There's nothing we can do." I bent down and placed my arm around her shoulder and she let me held her stand up. "We have to leave now." She nodded but quickly bent down and kissed their foreheads before moving to pick up the fallen gun.

She took a deep, shuddering breath to calm herself, wiped at her eyes roughly before holding her hand out to me. I grabbed her hand and held it tightly, offering the little comfort I could. We moved forward once again.

* * *

"This is useless." Calyx shook her head and stopped. It really was. We had been walking for close to an hour now and we hadn't found even a nibble of food yet. "We aren't covering enough ground this way. I think we need to split up."

"That's too dangerous." I shook my head. "What if-"

"What if what, Hermione?" She smiled sadly. "What if one of us get attacked? There are high chances of that but better one of us than both, right? It's what we've believed in since day one of Bloodlust. We're in danger as it is. A little more won't make a difference."

I stared at her, a frown on my face. She was right, of course. But I couldn't help but think something bad was going to happen.

"Come on, Hermione. We need to do this. We'll leave a track unnoticeable to others as we move and we'll meet back here in approximately 30 minutes. If one of us come first, climb a tree and wait. Alright?" She reasoned. "We have to."

Reluctantly I nodded. "30 minutes. Leave a track. Be careful, Calyx."

"You too." I stepped forward and hugged her tight. "Stop acting like you'll never see me again." She grinned at me and took her gun out of her pocket. "See you soon." And she went left. I took a deep breath, readied my bow and arrow and set out to the right, scratching every alternate tree's bark with the tip of a well sharpened wooden stick.

A few minutes through my search, movement to my left caught my attention and I turned to see a bird landing on a low branch near me. I made sure I was completely silent before raising my bow and arrow and aiming carefully at the creature. Steady. Three. Two. One-

The bow and arrow fell out of my hands and the bird instantly flew away, squawking, as my body was slammed against the tree beside me. The wind was knocked out of me as my back was pushed painfully against the bark of the tree behind me and a large hand was soon wrapped around my neck.

I looked up at my assailant and my mouth dropped open in shock and horror.

His fingers tightened around my throat and I gasped for breath.

"Viktor", I croaked out, "Please don't." Viktor Krum looked at me, a mad, evil glint in his eye that was never there before. Bloodlust had truly changed everyone. Unleashed the monsters within them.

"I'm sorry". He said, not sounding sorry at all. This was not the boy that had taken me to the Yule Ball. This was not the boy I had spent days with in the Hogwarts Library. This was not him at all.

And now Ginny, Harry and Ron would be watching as I had the life strangled out of me. This was the end. Ten tributes including me. And then nine. I closed my eyes as his grip grew stronger. I allowed everyone I ever loved and cared about flash before my eyelids. Harry. Ron. Ginny. The Weasleys. Neville. Luna. My parents. My professors. Dumbledore's army. Calyx.

And I sent a silent prayer up to the gods. A wish that Seamus or Calyx win the game. And if not them, then Hannah or Malfoy or Parkinson. Or anyone on our side...

And then the pressure over my throat was gone. I felt my vision fading and my eyes fluttering shut but-

But I wasn't dead? I forced my eyes open. Yes, definitely not dead. I watched, instead, as a familiar mop of blonde hair tackled Krum to the floor and a moment of hesitation later, plunged a knife straight through his heart. The heart again. Again... For the fourth time that day.

Draco Malfoy looked up at me. Gratitude and relief pulsed through me. Relief that I was alive. And surprisingly, relief that so was he.

"Granger, breathe." He said.

And when I realized I wasn't, I tried. By Merlin, I tried. I coughed and spluttered and clutched at my throat, trying to get my windpipe and lungs to work again. My throat was dry and stuck.

Malfoy didn't wait around to watch. As I tried to get my breathing system to work once again, I watched him stand up, brush his black pants and jacket down, pull the bloody knife out of Krum and just like I had done after saving his life, he sprinted away.

* * *

**That was... Depressing? But it's not the worst chapter yet. Chapter 10, which I've planned out, will probably be the most heart-breaking. Welcome back, Draco :P I hope you liked this chapter- I know it's shorter than usual but that's because the next chapter will be much more intense. Thank you for reading and please please review.**

**You guys are the best.**

**Much love,**

**feltonlewis xx**


	7. Hold Me Till I'm Gone

**BL 7: Hold Me Till I'm Gone.**

**Hello again friends (: Here is the next chapter of Bloodlust and it is definitely a very sad chapter so those who cry while reading, I'd suggest sitting with a tissue! Enjoy though xx**

* * *

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, I'll never let you go

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone"

-Safe and Sound, Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars.

Turned out splitting up had been a good plan. For one, Krum hadn't seen- and now didn't have the chance to see- Calyx. And second, I was now returning to our clearing with a bird in hand.

I followed my trail back to our clearing, still occasionally clearing my throat to get my windpipe working properly again. If another wave hit me at the moment, I'd probably not survive it this time.

I reached the clearing. The bird slipped through my fingers. I froze. No... Merlin, no. I waited. This had to be some bad dream. It had to. There was no other way this could have been happening. I refused to believe it.

But as I watched, as I waited for it to disappear and to wake up, it became all the more real. Calyx stood there, a gun in her trembling hand, pointed at a boy from Durmstrangs- Fiere Dartmouth- who stood holding his own gun, pointed at her.

"You pull that trigger and so will I." She said confidently, her finger ready to squeeze the trigger any second. I strung my bow and raised it, pointing it straight at Dartmouth.

"You don't have the guts." Fiere spat.

"This is Bloodlust. I will do whatever it takes to survive." The young girl said, her eyes never leaving his. Until I took a step forward to improve my aim. I was, as usual, loud enough for Calyx to hear and by taking a sudden glance towards me, her concentration slipped for a split-second. And that was all that was required.

The gunshot echoed through the forest quickly followed by another. A bullet shot through Dartmouth's thigh but he managed to stay upright. Calyx, though, fell to the ground, clutching the area above her stomach. I released my arrow. Strung it again. Released it. Strung it again. Released it. Dartmouth fell, three arrows lodged in his chest. A cannon sounded.

I dropped my bow and arrow, without a care about who and what danger might be lurking around. I stumbled my way to Calyx and dropped to my knees beside her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, Calyx." I whispered. This was my fault. If I hadn't taken that step, she wouldn't have lost her concentration and Dartmouth wouldn't have taken a shot.

The tiniest shake of her head while she locked eyes with mine. "Not your fault." She coughed, looking down at her stomach. I pulled her head on to my lap and didn't allow her to look down at the wound, which was now madly leaking blood. I removed her hands from her stomach and held them in one of mine, my other hand stroking her hair,

"You're so brave." I said, my throat feeling raw and my eyes beginning to burn. "You deserved to win. You should have won this. I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize." She coughed, tears gathering in her eyes and falling down her paling cheeks. "Please. Promise me... You-" She coughed again, "-won't blame yourself." She tightened her grip on my hand for a second. I nodded, a lump in my throat forming. "Thank y-you, 'Mione."

"No." I shook my head, smiling sadly. "Thank you, Calyx. You've been like a sister to me- you helped me survive."

She coughed for a few seconds, her eyes fluttering shut. "We 'elped eachoth-other."

"Hey, stay with me." I said, stroking her hair and feeling the tears in my eyes. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked at me, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Tell Gran-grandma and the o-others-'"

"That you love them. I will, Calyx, I will." I said, wiping the tears from her face while my own fell.

"D-don't cry." She whispered. "P-please." Her voice cracked and her eyes fluttered close once again. I nodded and wiped my tears with my sleeve. "Hold me t-till I'm g-gone." I pulled her body up and wrapped my arms around her tightly, hoping she could feel me. I kissed her forehead and then her hair, whispering to her words I wasn't sure she could even hear anymore. I did this until she went limp in my arms. I did this till she was gone and even after the cannon , I held her to me, not having the heart to let go.

But I knew that I had to. So ़my body trembling but the tears held back, I stood up and removing the backpack, lifted her body to carry it away from Dartmouth's. I found a small patch of soft flowers growing unevenly on the ground but it had to do. I placed her body gently down and placed her hands over each other on top of her chest, where the blood could not reach. I bent down, kissed her forehead and cheeks for the last time and stood up.

I returned to the clearing on shaky legs and resisting the urge to kick Dartmouth's body and burst into tears, I pulled the arrows out of him, wiped them as clean as possible on the forest's leafy floor and returned it to it's quiver.

I grabbed my backpack, strapped on the quiver and bow, pocketed Dartmouth's gun and kept Calyx's in one hand. It was easier than trying to constantly have the bow ready.

I stopped, took a deep breath, and moved forward. This time, alone. Once again.

* * *

"Attention, tributes." My eyes were already wide open, sleep never having come to me till then. How could I sleep? "Today has been a harsh day for a few of you. But at the end of today, only eight of you survive." I knew that amongst those eight, Malfoy was also alive because since the Viktor Krum episode, only two cannons had sounded and those belonged to Calyx and Dartmouth. "It gives me immense pleasure to announce that a young man and a young woman from Durmstrangs and Delists has volunteered to participate midway in Bloodlust. So from tomorrow onwards, we are back to having ten tributes in the arena. Good luck and good night."

I released a shuddering breath. Just what I needed. Two more tributes in the arena... But I had gotten this far. I could get farther.

* * *

(3rd Person Narration,

About twenty-five meters away from Hermione Granger)

Pansy Parkinson stumbled and fell, only to get right back up again and running through the crunchy leaves. She was breathing heavily, her legs and lungs protesting. She couldn't stop. She would be slaughtered in a second.

She had a knife in her hand but despite that, she didn't stand a chance against the three tributes chasing her. One was a boy from Durmstrangs, one a girl from Beauxbatons and another boy from Delists. The three had formed an alliance, taking down anyone in their way together.

Everything around her blurred as she ran as fast as her aching legs could carry her. She didn't know where to go, nor where she could hide. She had managed on the ground till then, climbing trees being a task she was unable to accomplish. But now, being chased, she knew she wouldn't survive on ground. They would not stop until they got her. Not now when they were so close. Not now when she stood no chance.

Her heart stopped beating for a second as a figure slammed into her side, knocking her to the floor.

"Parkinson?" A familiar voice said. She looked up, Seamus Finnegan's face becoming clearer in front of her. She stood up quickly, brushing herself down.

"Run, Finnegan." She said and without wasting a moment, she was running again. A moment later, he was sprinting beside her. "Three tributes-" She panted "-formed an alliance. They're-they're chasing me."

He halted after they had twisted and turned through the trees, trying to lose the others. He stopped in front of a sturdy tree with several branches and began climbing up.

Pansy stood there, nervously, knowing that she needed to climb too. If only she knew how...

"Finnegan, help me up!" She said. He stopped and turned to look down at her.

"Why should I do that? This is war, Parkinson."

"You owe me! I told you they were coming!" She said quickly, looking around anxiously.

"I don't owe you anything." He shook his head. "You go your way, I go mine."

They heard voices and footsteps getting nearer and she looked up with frightened eyes. "Please! I'll do anything! Just this once. Please, Finnegan!"

He grit his teeth together before climbing back down and sticking his hand out. "Hurry up." She nodded and grabbed his hand and he pulled her up beside him. They made their way higher and higher up the tree and then once on one of the hire branches, they sat and waited with bated breath. When the tributes came and went, Seamus looked at Pansy, settled comfortably onto the branch he was on and closing his eyes, said- "Be gone by morning."

* * *

**Calyx :/ I'm sorry about that but I had to. I know her death scene was very similar to Rue's in HG but like I said, some things will be similar while others won't. For example, the ending bit here. I decided to swap to 3rd person at times to give you a wider view on what's going on in the story.**

**I hope you enjoyed this! There is a lot more Dramione in the next chapter but their relationship will only advance very slowly and it's going to get super angsty so prepare yourself, my lovelies.**

**Do do review please!**

**Love you,**

**Feltonlewis xx**


	8. Damaged Minds

**BL 8: Damaged Minds.**

**Hello friends once again! I know I haven't updated in quite a bit but I've been holidaying so I haven't had a machine for a bit. Enjoy this one xx**

* * *

_"Dreaming dreams with happy endings_  
_In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords_  
_But now we've stepped into a cruel world_  
_Where everybody stands and keeps score"_  
_-Eyes Open, Taylor Swift_

Make it stop, I begged, my hand flying to my mouth. This was too much. Too many deaths. Too much blood. Just too damn much...

I watched, wide-eyed, as the tall blonde from Beauxbatons tackled Hannah Abbott on the forest floor, her feet on either side of my schoolmate's body, a gleaming knife in her hand, raised above her head, poised to attack.

Hannah was trembling- no, shaking insanely, tears were pouring out of her bright eyes as she watched the blonde bring the knife down. But Hannah refused to scream. Refused to whimper. Just watched the knife come down.

The knife pierced through her stomach and forgetting the consequences entirely, I opened my mouth to release the strangled cry lodged in my throat. A hand covered my mouth in the last second, stifling my scream and also making me jump straight out of my skin.

But when I didn't feel a knife stabbing into my back or a bullet shattering my spine, I dismissed my captor for the moment- my eyes fixed on the sight in front of me instead. I wanted to run to her. I wanted to kill the murderer sitting straddled above her, stabbing her not once but repeatedly. I believe I even would've had the person behind me not pulled me away from the sight.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my head hit a bark softly, one firm hand over my mouth and another holding me back with a strong hold on my shoulder. I shook my head, trying to rid the image of Hannah from my mind. It was just too much to take... So soon after Calyx.

A cannon boomed. One less heart beating.

I screamed a muffled scream again and tears stung the back of my eyes but I refused to let them advance. I could not cry. I would not cry.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and opened my eyes slowly to look into stormy blue ones. I stared into them, trying to distract myself from the grotesque vision of the brutal murder that I witnessed. What I had just seen was... Horrible. Sick. Even after Hannah was as good as dead, the girl had continued stabbing her. Bloodlust. It was fitting. So very fitting.

Just thinking about it brought a wave of emotions crashing over me and I closed my eyes again, trying to calm down. Trying to resist the urge to burst into tears for the second time in two days.

I could hear them in the clearing. The three tributes that had formed an alliance- one girl from Beauxbatons and two boys from Delists and Durmstrangs. They were laughing. Talking. As if a slaughtered body wasn't lying a meter away from them.

My eyes flew open, fury ignited within them. I moved, the gun gripped in my hand tightly. I would kill who I could. If only he would let me go.

"Granger, don't be stupid!" Malfoy snarled, pushing me back against the tree.

"Leave me!" I whispered furiously.

"No. Stop and think for a second." He said, firmly holding me back despite my protesting. "Three of them. One of you. Even if I helped you, one of us are bound to die. Going out there is suicide, Granger. You've come this far and-"

"-And they just killed Hannah!" I growled.

"Exactly. She's dead. Rather one of you than both of you. She's dead already and nothing you do can bring her back. You hear me? It isn't your time to die. Not now. Don't blow your chance of winning because of irrational thinking."

I knew he was right. I knew I couldn't argue. Rather one of us than both of us. That's what Calyx had said as well. So I stayed where I was and soon, Malfoy loosened his grip. After a point, after the voices had faded away, after their footsteps could no longer be heard, he released me and I didn't waste a second. In a second, I was kneeling down beside Hannah's fallen figure, stroking her hair and cradling her face in my hands. With shaking hands, I moved her light brown hair out of her face, revealing her petrified brown eyes. We had grown to love this face. She had grown to love us. And Neville- Oh, Neville!

The girl he loved was dead. He had, perhaps, even watched her die. Were they watching? Were the gathered in the Great Hall together, watching as one-by-one their friends, family, the ones they loved were slaughtered?

I turned around. Malfoy was gone.

* * *

(3rd person narration,  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)

"Neville..." Ginny whispered, covering his hand with her smaller one. "I'm so sorry." Tears gathered in her eyes and she was aware of a large number of eyes in the Hall on the boy beside her. The ones who weren't staring at the Gryffindors, were staring at the projecting screen at the front of the hall. It had been running since the games began and projected to the audience their school's tributes.

No one knew what to say. Neville stood up on shaking legs and strode out of the hall quickly. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Dean followed him, afraid their friend would do something rash.

The large oak doors slammed shut behind them and Neville grit his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut, clutching his head in his hands. He opened his eyes and pulling back his fist, he punched the wall in front of him. The others heard his knuckles crack and blood dripped to the floor instantly. He didn't care. He covered his face with his hands and released a strangled, almost animalistic cry. Ginny moved forward and put her arms around the vulnerable boy and pulled him towards her. He buried his face into her shoulder and hair and broke down. His bloody hands gripped the sides of her sweater and he cried. He cried for the love he had just lost. He cried for the pain she had gone through. He cried for Hermione, was had to witness everything firsthand. And most of all, he cried for them all, who had to endure so much pain and anguish that it was a wonder none of them had killed themselves yet.

Later than night down at the lowest floor of Hogwarts, Hayley Parkinson burst through the Slytherin common room, her eyes scanning the room for Blaise Zabini. He was seated by the fire on the floor, leaning his back against the side of an armchair.

"Blaise." She said. He spun around, fear and nervousness in his eyes. Had Draco or Pansy-

"No ones gone, Blaise." She assured him. Not yet, anyway. "There's been an announcement in the games." He sat up straighter. "If two tributes from the same school team up and survive, they will both be allowed to leave the games alive."

"So- so Draco and Pansy-"

"-Can both come back as long as they survive till the others are gone."

Blaise swallowed hard. It was the best news he had heard in a long time, sure. But the prospect of Granger and Finnegan dying in the process- he shuddered- why didn't it seem worth it at all? Especially after seeing Finnegan save Pansy?

* * *

"-Instead, if two tributes from the same school team up- there can be two victors. Good luck, all."

I didn't stop to even think twice. It was a mistake on my part, obviously. But I was fed up. I was tired. I was hurting. I wasn't being allowed to grieve. I was fighting for something that was as good as useless. If I won, I would live with survivor's guilt. I no longer knew what I was doing with myself. I had killed, albeit for the right reasons. But I was a killer nonetheless. Bloodlust had changed everything. And I was tired of it.

So I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, stumbling over rocks and uneven ground- leaves, twigs and branches slapping at my face and crunching beneath my feet.

"Seamus!" I cried, forgetting all else. I was too tired. "Seamus!" I knew he was alive. I just knew it. I had to find him. I had to.

And for the next, what felt like hours, I just ran through the forest, screaming his name, forgetting that anyone else existed. That anyone else who heard me would get me and slaughter me till my organs were hanging out of my body. All that mattered to me was finding him.

Suddenly, two things happened at one time. The first, I stopped screaming and heard voices and footsteps heading my way. The second, the reason for the first. My eyes grew wide as saucers as a- much too familiar?- hand clamped down across my mouth, silencing me, which is why I heard the footsteps and voices. Another hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side behind a tree, my chest pressed against the bark.

I began wriggling, my arms flying around, trying to hit whoever was holding me although I had a fair idea of who the hell it was.

"Stop struggling, Granger!" I was right, of course. It was him yet again. I turned around and came face to face with none other than Malfoy. "I'm going to move my hand, don't say a word, understand?" I growled but nodded and he removed his hand.

"Are you barking mad?" He hissed, looking around us. "This is a war zone, Granger. If you're heard, you're found. If you're found, you're killed. Do you WANT to die?"

"Why do you care if I die?" She hissed back, keeping her voice low. "And are you friggin' stalking me?"

"I don't care if you died." He said. "And I don't need be stalking you- why didn't you yell a little louder, Granger? I'm not sure Potter back at Hogwarts could hear you."

I ignored his comment about my screaming. "If you dont care, then why did you pull me away? You could've had the pleasure of watching the others skin me alive".

"Tell me, Granger, why didn't you let him finish me off?" He asked. He didn't need to mention which time and when, it was understood. He was talking about Hulk.

I didn't answer, choosing to look away instead. "You heard me. You found me. What's stopping you from killing me?" I asked softly. I had to know. I needed to know. I just... Didn't understand anything anymore.

"What stopped you from killing me as well when you killed him? I'm beginning to understand what you meant when you said we weren't enemies here, Granger. Far from it." He said, instead of answering. I kept silent again.

"I swear she's around here- split up and find her and kill her." A shrill voice rang out from their left. The girl from Beauxbatons in the alliance. We locked eyes and suddenly we were running away from the voices, our feet padding as lightly as possible on the scrunchy leaves. But not lightly enough.

"That way!" The same shrill voice yelled and in a second, we could hear people running after us.

"Run, Granger!" Malfoy called over his shoulder, ducking a branch in the way. I was hurrying after him, a few steps behind.

"Over here". He said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to one side. He pushed me behind a large oak tree that had low hanging branches that hid most of us effectively. I let him handle me. It wasn't like I was in the right mind to handle myself anymore any way...

The alliance soon left the area, believing us to have run further north. I almost laughed. North. As if anybody knew which way the compass directions actually faced.

Malfoy moved away from me and after a quick look around, began moving in the opposite direction to which the group had gone. I stared after him and watched as he walked a few steps, turned around and looked at me expectantly.

"Coming, Granger?"

"I- What?" I spluttered, disbelievingly. Coming where? Coming why?! And where would I go with Malfoy? Bloodlust was seriously damaging my mind... And his, too.

"In case you dont find Finnigan- it isn't specified that the two from the same school have to be in the same house." He said, obviously attempting to convey what he was trying to say without actually saying it. Lucky for him, my mind wasn't yet completely damaged and I understood.

And against my better judgement, I found myself following Malfoy. Or maybe it was completely damaged.

* * *

**Yep! That's done. So loads more dramione there and yet to come. It's sad how Hermione's losing herself and a warning, the angst is NOWHERE near to ending. It just gets worse. Thank you all for reading! Do do do pleaseeeee review it helps me keep writing :') **

**Much love,**  
**Feltonlewis xx**


	9. Author's Note

_Hey Everyone!_

_So I realized that I made a huge huge mistake and uploaded chapter 9 before chapter 8. Im so so sorry and Ill be changing that around so do go back and take a look at the ACTUAL chapter 8: Damaged Minds._

_I apologize for the inconvenience :/ Enoy xx_

_FeltonLewis_


	10. Insane

**BL 9: Insane.**

**Heyy guys! Thank you so much for the reads and reviews :') I'm slowly seeing them go up again haha :P meet you at the bottom where I shall address some things! Enjoy x**

* * *

"So here you are, two steps ahead and staying on guard

Every lesson forms a new scar

They never thought you'd make it this far"

-Eyes Open, Taylor Swift

(3rd person narration,

Around forty meters west from Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy)

Seamus Finnegan brushed his hands against his pants, wiping the fruit's juice off his fingers and onto the fabric. He hadn't eaten properly in the past seven days and he was growing awfully tired. Of this whole game. Of bloodlust. He had considered ending the misery for himself. He probably wouldn't win anyway. But despite his aching bones and heart, he kept going. He was a Gryffindor after all. He wouldn't go down without a fight. He wouldn't be a coward.

All thoughts were wiped straight out of his head when his collar was suddenly grabbed and a knife brought to his side.

"Drop your weapon." A deep voice spat into his ear. He pulled a disgusted expression, masking any fear.

"I would if I had one." Not technically lies. He had slipped his knife into his boot while he was eating.

"Are there anymore of you around?" The boy asked.

Well, he thought, Parkinson had been following me since I told her to get away from me and she thought I didn't know but I did but now I've lost her. "Nope. Just me."

"Do you know where any of the others are?" He asked, the knife piercing a hole into his side. Yep, he sighed, done for. If he even moved, he would be stabbed. He swallowed hard, wishing he could at least leave something behind. Perhaps say something to his family and friends, knowing they were watching. Or at the least, prevent them from watching.

"No, I do not. Do just kill me already." He said blankly, closing his eyes and watching everyone he loved and cared about flash through his mind.

"With pleasure." The boy- who was from Delists- said. He pushed the knife in halfway through the side of his stomach but before he could push it in completely, Seamus heard the boy gasp and choke.

"Not today. Not ever." A familiar voice said and Seamus spun around to see a slim hand holding a knife which was now lodged into the side of the boy's neck. The second last remaining Delists' tribute collapsed to the floor, his hand slipping from his own knife. A cannon sounded. His figure fell, revealing the raven haired girl behind him, her green eyes furious and pained. The emerald green orbs stared at Seamus' face before moving down to his bleeding stomach.

He looked down and almost threw up. His head was already going fuzzy and his vision blurring. Blood was soaking his shirt and leaking out of the stab wound in his side.

He swayed and before he could grab onto anything and steady himself, he fell forward. Pansy stumbled and grasped his shirt and arms, holding him up with all her strength. She moved around the dead body in front of her and lowered Seamus' body to the floor with her.

"Damn, Parkinson, have you been stalking me?" Seamus said, smiling weakly, holding his side, his eyes closed tight.

"Saved your life, didn't I?" She replied, her hand on the knife. She didn't deny it, though. She had been following him since the time he told her to be gone. She was even sure he knew it but he didn't say anything. And for that, she was grateful. She didn't want to kill the Delists' tribute but she owed him his life.

"I'm going to die." He said, attempting a laugh.

"Shut up and tell me what to do!" She said, the sight of blood filling her vision.

"According to movies, you shouldn't take the knife out." He shrugged, opening his eyes slightly and squinting at her.

"Movies?" She asked, feeling like hyperventilating all of a sudden

"Muggle thing. Leave me to die, Parkinson. One less tribute for you to fight." He smirked.

"Finnegan, I am scared to death right now! Just tell me what to do!" She cried.

"Ease the out knife I guess." He said, squeezing his eyes shut and coughing.

"Okay." She nodded, taking deep breaths. "Here we go." She grasped the knife and slowly starting pulling the knife out. He whimpered without meaning to and she flinched. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and breathed heavily. Luckily the knife wasn't in too deep and she pulled it out within a few seconds.

"Forget it, Parkinson. I've lost a lot of blood." He said weakly.

"I killed a man in order for you to survive. You helped me survive and I owe you and I'm not going to let you die." She said firmly, her hands shaking as she applied pressure on the wound, blood soaking through her fingers.

"Parkinson-"

"Shut up for Merlin's sake! I told you I wont let you die!" She said, watching her pale skin turn wet with red liquid.

"No, Parkinson-"

"Let me think! I need to think of what I need to do!" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She was, as she said, scared to death.

"Listen! Just look-"

"Finnegan, I swear I'm going to-"

"Pansy!" He used all his energy to say. She looked at him, surprised at his usage of her name, to see him staring at something in front of him, to her right. Hesitating, nervous as to what she would see, she followed his line of sight to a small metal box that had landed on the ground a meter away from them.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Only one way to find out." He tried to sit up but she gently pushed him back down and scrambled towards it on her knees. She picked up the box with trembling fingers and opened the latch and then the lid.

"Oh..." She looked at him, relief etched on to her face. "We got a Sponsors package." His eyes widened for a second before he began coughing. She hurried back to his side. She pulled out a vial of colourless liquid and a tube of paste. "I don't know what it is. Should I just-" She gestured to the wound. He nodded and after a few attempts, her fingers slipping due to the blood, she unscrewed the cap and poured some of its content onto the wound. He hissed as it burnt madly and she apologized, suddenly wanting to cry. She then, with shaking fingers, applied some of the thick blue paste on to the wound through the blood, which hardened almost instantly.

"That feels nice." He croaked.

"Yeah?" She whispered, her voice hoarse. "That's- that's good. You have to sit up, I need to bandage you around." He nodded and struggled to sit up. She placed her hand on his back, aiding him. "I need to let go, hold my shoulders if you need to." And he did. He grasped her shoulders while she unrolled and wrapped the gauze around his torso, fixing it firmly at the end.

"We're done." She said. "Should you be lying down or sitting up?"

"I think sitting up." I said. "But I can't go to sleep or pass out- I have a feeling if I do, I won't wake up."

"Okay." She nodded. She helped him move over to a tree and lean against the bark.

After a few long seconds of silence, he said- "P-Pansy?" She turned to him. "Thank you."

* * *

(1st Person narration.

Hermione Granger)

I bit into the flesh of the last piece of bird, resisting yet again the urge to moan with pleasure.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days." Malfoy said, chucking the bones in his hand to the side and standing up.

"That's because I haven't. It's been- two days, I think? Perhaps more." I said, doing the same. I looked down at my hands and cringed at the dried up blood on my wrists and fingernails and patches here and there which hadn't come off since I saw Calyx and Hannah. Speaking of which...

"Why do you look like you're going to cry?" He asked as we packed up our belongings and moved on.

I masked my face with an indifferent expression instantly although I wasn't about to cry. "It's Calyx's birthday today." I said softly.

"Calyx?" Malfoy said, studying the gun in his hand. "The girl you were with the past day or two?"

I stared at him and shook my head. "Seriously, Malfoy, have you been stalking me? I'm really not kidding. You've appeared every time I needed help or was about to die or- yeah..." I trailed off.

"You're insane, Granger." He scoffed. "Like I'd stalk you. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time- well, for you anyway."

The second half of his answer went unheard. I couldn't get his words out of my head- 'Youre insane, Granger.' Was I? Had Bloodlust truly damaged my mind? Was I going crazy? I sure felt like it.

"So what about her, any way? The girl?" He said.

"She died." I answered bluntly. I didn't feel like even crying this time either. 'You're insane'.

"Did you kill the person who killed her?" He questioned. Was that anger that flashed through his eyes?

"Fiere Dartmouth from Durmstrangs. Yes, I did." I said. We walked on for the next half-hour in silence. He noticed only after that time that he had been following me all the while.

"Granger, where are we going?"

If we keep moving in the same direction, we should reach the edge some time or the other. I couldn't tell him that. The game-makers would hear us and they'd try and throw us off track. "I-" I hesitated, "-I can't tell you."

He stopped in his tracks but I went on, waiting for his outburst.

"Wait a second, Granger. You actually know where you're going?" He asked.

"Well, yes... Or not. Kind of, I guess." I answered.

"Kind of? I thought we were just walking along! I expected an answer like that! Not "I can't tell you"! What the hell, Granger? You actually have a plan?"

"I can't tell you." I said again. I heard him stride forward and grab my arm and spin me around.

"I need to know what your plan is." He said.

"It's not exactly a proper plan. It's just a hunch." I said, hoping he would drop it but knowing he wouldn't.

"Well, what's your hunch?" He demanded.

"I can't tell you that either." I said.

"Dammit, Granger! How do I know you won't just lead me to another ruthless tribute and get me killed?" He asked. My expression hardened and I pursed my lips, trying to control the sudden anger that washed over me. I wanted to slap him.

"Screw you, Malfoy." I spat. "No one's asking you to come with me. I know we have no trust between us but I thought it was established that we didn't exactly want each other dead. And the fact remains that you've saved my life more than once so if you think I'm heartless enough to want you dead after everything, then- then just forget it. You go your way and I'll go mine." I pulled my arm out of his grasp and turned on my heel, walking away.

I heard an exasperated sigh and then- "I'm sorry." I stopped. "I didn't mean what I said. I wasn't thinking. It would just be helpful if I knew what you were planning."

"Just know that the plan isn't against you. Can that be enough for now? Please?" I asked, turning around to look at him again. He stared at me for a few long seconds before nodding.

"Fine." He said, catching up to me. "I just hope this isn't you being insane again."

I flinched. Insane.

* * *

I almost lost my balance and tripped over when Malfoy stuck his arm out, stopping me from going on. I looked at him to ask him what was wrong when he silenced me with a finger to his lips and pointed in front of us and then to his ear, asking me to listen. I did. Voices talking in hushed whispers.

I strung my bow, which I aimed better than the gun, and pointed it at the trees in front of us steadily. Malfoy raised the gun, since he had no other appropriate weapon, and did the same, his finger on the trigger.

We listened closely. Waiting. It sounded as if something or someone was being dragged across the forest floor slowly. We held our breaths. Not daring to make a sound. We glanced at each other quickly before looking back out at the dark trees.

They were closer. Closer still. Anytime now-

Two figures moved through the trees and stepped out under the moonlight. The girl's head snapped up to look at us and the boy leaning on her did the same.

Four names were said at the same time- "Hermione?" "Draco?" "Seamus?" and "Pansy!"

Malfoy was the first to move, pocketing his gun and hurrying towards his best friend. I noticed that she had her arm around Seamus and didn't remove it even when Malfoy pulled her into an embrace. She began sobbing in his arms and Seamus moved away slowly towards the nearest tree and leaned against it. Parkinson's arm fell away from Seamus and she put both arms around Malfoy and hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder, saying "You're alive. Merlin, you're alive!"

I stared at Seamus and he stared back. But my legs didn't move like Malfoy's had. I stood rooted to the spot, my bow still strung and pointed at the three in front of me. Why wasn't I moving? Why wasn't I putting my weapon down? The danger was gone. Our friends were right here. Right in front of us. Seamus, the one person I had been dying to find and hoping was alive for the past eight days, was standing right here. Staring at me. Then why wasn't I moving?

It was like I no longer had any control over my body. My mind.

'You're insane.'

"Granger." I looked at him, my hands beginning to tremble slightly. He had split away from Parkinson, though still holding her hand tightly. He was looking back at me, eyebrows furrowed. "It's alright. It's just Pansy and Finnegan."

The bow and arrow fell out of my hands and I flew towards Seamus and threw my arms around his neck. He put his arms around my back and hugged me to him. But I didn't cry like Parkinson did. Although relief and happiness washed over me, my heart didn't burst like it should have.

"He's hurt." Parkinson's voice cut through my thoughts and I split away from Seamus. I looked at him, worry evident on my face as I noticed he was flushed red with pain.

"Why didn't you tell me before I tackled you with my hug?!" I asked, noticing that he was leaning heavily against the tree.

"It's fine." He said, waving his hand. "Just a minor wound." I noticed white bandage peeking out of the bottom of his shirt and I slowly lifted the black fabric away. I gasped at the bloody mess seeping through the bandages.

"Minor?! What the hell happened?" I asked.

"And how did you both find each other?" Malfoy asked, coming closer to us.

"To cut a long story short, Pansy was stalking me." Seamus laughed. "And then before somebody could completely stab me, she killed him. We got a sponsor package, she wrapped me up. We've been together since today afternoon. But we only just started moving a while ago when I was strong enough."

"Thank you, Par-Pansy." I said sincerely. She nodded.

"How did you both find each other?" Pansy asked.

"Similar story I would say." I answered, realizing that it indeed WAS a very similar story. "Except I never got stabbed." I gestured to Seamus' wound.

"Okay, so according to this- if there are eight tributes left and amongst that, four of us then there are only four more tributes left to take down." Malfoy said.

And then what happens? I wanted to ask. The others did as well, judging from their expressions. But nobody asked. We would cross that bridge when we got there. If we did.

"We're together now. We don't have to separate, right?" Pansy asked, evidently frightened.

Malfoy and Seamus looked towards me, as if expecting me to answer. Why? I would never know.

"No, we don't." I said firmly. "We're staying together."

Malfoy nodded and gestured in front of us in the direction we were previously heading. "Let's get a move on."

"Why that way?" Pansy asked. Malfoy and I looked at each other. The lesser the people who knew I had a plan, the better. It wouldn't be discussed that way. No questions would be asked.

"Gut feeling that it's the right way." Malfoy said, not breaking eye contact with me. I didn't know at which point I had begun feeling thankful that he was around.

Definitely insane...

* * *

**Yayay so all four of them are together and alive but alas, for how long? D: okay! I need to address two things in particular- one, I know a few of you said you were glad there was no romance between Seamus and Pansy and I see that ^ indicates otherwise so I'm sorry! Some things are just required to hike up emotion :S And the second thing, some of you pointed out that it would have been more original if they were allowed to use wands but unfortunately I can't do that not only because I've almost finished the story but also because with wands, the spells are pretty much just direct so if it's a kill it's a direct kill without last moments like Calyx and Hermione had so its a bit difficult to bring out emotion again. So apologies!**

**Anyway- like I said, the story is almost done. I have one chapter left to write and that's surprisingly not the last chapter :P it's chapter 26 and the story is of 28 chapters. Yes, I know, I'm weird. I write in a weird order but hey, I get the job done!**

**Much love and do do review please! The box down there is super hungry :(**

**Feltonlewis xx**


	11. Fight Or Flight

**BL 10: Fight or Flight**

**Hey readers once again (: I'll try uploading this one as fast as I can since I'm almost done with the story- Ive been editing and reworking portions I haven't found good enough so do be patient with me. Enjoy this one xx**

* * *

_"To keep you safe from my bow_  
_Take my hand and my heart races_  
_The flames illuminate our faces_  
_And we're on fire"_  
-Just A Game, Birdy

"...Eight of you survive. Good luck and good night." The four of us stared out of the opening of the little cave we had taken refuge in. Eight left. Eighteen dead.

"How have you been surviving all this while? Neither of you seem to have more than a knife on you." I asked, looking at Pansy and Seamus. She had become Pansy to me now. Weird.

Pansy shrugged. "I didn't know how to climb. I stayed hidden. Lay low. Didn't go out hunting. I managed to get hold of a knife during the floods, though. A branch caught hold of me- an added trick by the game makers, I presume. I was underwater and a knife lay near to me so I used it to break free and then kept the knife. I remained in one place after that but I realized it was the wrong thing to do when a trio alliance-"

"Delists, Durmstrangs and Beauxbatons?" I asked, wondering if there had been more than one alliance.

"Yes. Two boys and one girl." Pansy nodded. "Did they get anyone you know?"

"Hannah Abbott." Seamus stared at me, shocked.

"She's dead?" He asked sadly. I nodded, not giving the gruesome details I had the misfortune of witnessing. He swore. "I can't imagine what Neville's going through."

"Anyway, you were saying Pansy?" I asked after a few seconds of silence.

"The alliance heard me and began chasing after me. I began running and Finnegan here bumped into me and we were running for a bit before he stopped and climbed a tree. I didn't know how to and he was about to well, not help me but then he came back for me in the last second and- yeah. The next day-"

"She stayed close but not exactly with me. I knew she was following me." Seamus said, smirking at Pansy, who blushed a bit. Malfoy and I raised our eyebrows at the exchange. "But turns out it was for the good because she saved my life."

"How did you survive before that?" I asked, rubbing my arms for warmth. It was getting cold.

"When we left our platforms on the first day, I got pushed down and almost slaughtered but I fought the fellow off and grabbed his knife. I- I killed him." He frowned "I had to."

"Don't bother feeling bad, Finnegan. We've all killed here. It's what we need to do to survive." Malfoy said, lying down on, his fingers interlaced behind his head.

"Yeah." Seamus cleared his throat. "Anyway, pretty much like Pansy, I lay low. Remained hidden. Lived on fruits. Escaped several tributes by climbing. I was alone until Pansy banged into me."

"How did you both survive?" Pansy asked. Malfoy answered first.

"I didn't bother with weapons when we were allowed off the platform. It was a bloody massacre there. I didn't risk it. So I ran straight into the forest. A little while later a Durmstrangs tribute had a knife at my throat and I thought I was dead for sure. Until-" He gestured to me, "-I saw her with her bow and arrow. I thought she'd kill us both and run or- or something. She killed the tribute holding me and she ran." He had never thanked me for it. I had never expected him to. "After that I had a knife and I got around. The next time I saw Granger, she was having her life strangled out of Krum-"

"Viktor Krum?" Seamus asked, surprised. Malfoy and I nodded. "Bloody hell."

"-So I returned the favor, killed Krum and went on. We encountered each other a few times, Granger and I. And after the announcement came out, we remained as a- team." Malfoy finished.

"And you, Hermione?" Seamus asked.

"I managed to get hold of a bow and arrow when I got off the platform. Like Seamus, I stayed in a tree for most of the time. I killed the guy who was going to kill Malfoy. Calyx found me then- a thirteen year old tribute from Jawstens. She and I stuck together. The floods got to us. We managed out of it. We then came across her two friends- Kris and Diana Reed, twins- being killed. Calyx killed the girl who killed them. We split up after that for food. Krum got to me, Malfoy got me out. I got to Calyx in time to see her being shot. I killed the Durmstrangs boy who killed her- Fiere Dartmouth. I watched Hannah die. The announcement of the same school tribute thing came out- Malfoy and I found each other somehow and yeah. Here we are now."

We lapsed into silence once again. I offered to keep watch first and then Malfoy would take over and then Pansy. We decided that Seamus would have to rest the whole night if he wanted to recover enough to move tomorrow, which we knew we had to.

* * *

I knew something was wrong the second Seamus didn't return after two minutes from going to empty his bladder a short distance away. I strained my ears and the sound of coughing reached me. I stood up, gun ready and jumped when Malfoy came to stand beside me, a gun in his hand.

"Seamus went out and didn't come back." I said. He nodded and we jogged towards the sound. It turned out that there was no direct danger but judging from the amount of blood Seamus was throwing up, things for him seemed dangerous. I ran up to him and placed my hand on his back and rubbed it in soothing circles.

He looked at me and then at Malfoy and then the cave. He coughed, blood on his lips. "Make- make sure Pansy doesn't come." He coughed at Malfoy, who stared at him for a moment before nodding curtly and hurrying back to the cave.

"Seamus... This is-" I said but broke off, unsure of what to say. He stopped throwing up, just trying to catch his breath.

"It burns, Hermione." He said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Is this the first time?" I asked, my mind returning to the last time he had gone into the forest alone, using the toilet excuse again.

"Second." He said. "But the first wasn't this bad. I think my body's breaking down." I swallowed hard, a thought entering my mind despite my attempts to block it out. Heaving blood like this, would he- survive for long? Would I be able to find the edge in time?

"Why- why didn't you want Pansy to know?" I asked softly as he settled more comfortably on the floor, his head in his hands.

"She fixed me up. She was scared to death the whole time. All the way till we found you both. She was close to crying the whole time. She tried to hide it but I saw it. If she found out I was-" He gestured to the blood pooled near us, "-she'd think that she didn't fix me up correctly or that she did something wrong or- yeah. And she's in a mess as it is. We all are, but-" He broke off.

"You care for her." It wasn't a question. It was an observation. One he didn't deny.

* * *

"I told you! Im fine!" Seamus protested, throwing his hands in the air.

"We know you are. We just think it may be a good idea to stay in for today morning." I said calmly, understanding why he would be frustrated. It was like when Harry and Ron would ask me to stay behind in the tent while they went to search for Horcruxes during our hunt. But the difference is that I wasn't injured then.

"Fi-Seamus, please." Pansy said softly. "We'll be on the move probably this evening and you need all the energy you can have."

"And we don't want you slowing us down, Finnegan." Malfoy said, leaning against the side of the entrance of the cave. "I won't hesitate to leave you behind." I would've glared at him for his insensitivity if it wasn't helping our case.

Seamus, though, did glare at him. He looked at Pansy and then at me. "Fine. But you can't go too far from here. Food shouldn't be a reason we get lost and separated."

"Done." I nodded. I handed him one of the guns and Malfoy let Pansy have the other one. I looked at the blonde. "What about you? What'll you use?"

"We have a knack of finding each other before the other dies," He smirked at me. "I trust that you'll find me before I die, Granger." He slipped two of the knives we had in each of his pockets and nodding at me and Seamus and kissing Pansy on the cheek, he left. I made sure Pansy and Seamus were sure about using the guns before leaving with Pansy in two different directions.

* * *

(3rd person narration.  
Following Seamus Finnegan)

His stomach lurched and just as he reached a small distance away from the cave, he doubled over and threw up more blood. He fell to his knees, coughing, as he clutched his throat.

Was it just the stab wound that was causing this? Or had he eaten something that had infected his entire system? Why did it feel like his organs were slowly but surely failing? Like his body was shutting down? Like he wouldn't survive very long? He had survived. Yet he wasn't surviving.

A sharp cry rang out through the forest and reached him where he was. He knew who it was without a moment of consideration and without a second thought, he leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain in his stomach. He gripped his gun tightly and ran as fast as he could in the direction Pansy had gone.

(3rd person narration.  
Following Pansy Parkinson)

Pansy's hair was grabbed from behind and she yelped out. Before she could put her finger on the trigger, her hands were twisted behind her back and grabbed with one strong hand, the other hand pulling her braid behind, causing he head to snap backwards. Her hands were released after the gun was shaken out of it and a knife was brought to her throat, the edge piercing into her skin.

"I came to the arena to be with my boyfriend, you know that?" A shrill voice spoke menacingly into her ear. Pansy closed her eyes. "I paired up with him. We split for one hour. One hour only. And you know what happens the next time I see him?" Her hair was yanked harder. "I see that you've killed him. I was there, you bitch. I was right there. I didn't strike because I wanted you alone. Without the protection of your boyfriend or anybody else. And now I have you."

"You will never have me." Pansy choked out and the knife slit her throat further.

"But I do. And I will slit your throat like you slit his and and I will watch you, satisfied, as you bleed out and die." Her attacker, the new eighteen year old from Delists, gripped the knife tighter and pushed it deeper into Pansy' skin, drawing blood.

Suddenly, a gun was fired in the clearing and the knife was released and it clattered to the floor. Pansy's hair, though, remained in the girl's grip as the brunette fell to the floor, a bullet in her spinal cord. Pansy scrambled away from the girl, pulling her hair loose and looked at the source of the bullets. She pushed herself to her feet and clutching her bleeding throat, moved forward and fell against Seamus, who put his arms around her back and pulled her towards him.

"Seamus." She said, her free hand clutching the back of his shirt. "I thought I was going to die. I was sure I would."

"You saved my life. I had to return the favor." He said, burying his face into her neck. They split apart suddenly when the sound of a gun being fired several times reached their ears. Pansy's eyes connected with Seamus'.

"Draco and Hermione- neither had guns, right?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Don't jump to any conclusions." He said, shaking his head. She stepped out of his embrace and picked up her gun and held her hand out. He came forward and held on to it tightly.

The girl lying on the floor in front of them stopped breathing completely. A cannon sounded.

Another cannon sounded.

Pansy tightened her grip on his hand. They were ready to fight or take flight at any second.

* * *

(1st person narration.  
Hermione Granger.)

The moment I heard several birds squawking at the same time, my eyebrows furrowed together and I knew something was wrong. It was unusual. Very unusual. During my time at the games, I had seen a maximum of four birds together but this? This was mad. I could hear at least fifty together.

I was momentarily distracted by the sound of a gunshot from the direction Pansy had gone. What-? Was she-? Or-?

My attention was brought back to the birds when I heard five- six- seven gunshots from the direction of the squawking.

A cannon sounded. And then a few seconds later, another one.

What the hell was going on? Unless... My eyes widened in realization and I began running in the direction Malfoy had gone. I would get him first and then the others or else I'd have to go back for him.

On the way, I heard more squawking. More birds. More gunshots. At least twelve. And then the sound of a cannon booming. Dear Merlin.

"Malfoy!" I screamed, able to see his white blonde hair and as I neared, I saw him staring towards the sounds of the gunshots, eyebrows furrowed and hand gripping his own gun tightly. He spun towards me. I stopped in front of him, panting. "I think the game makers unleashed their second trick. They're birds. And I think they kill!" I rushed out.

"Three dead by birds?" He asked, eyes wide as we began running towards the cave.

I shook my head, twigs and branches slapping at us as we ran. "Two by the birds. I heard a gunshot in Pansy's direction." He ran faster and I followed as we moved towards where Pansy had gone. We burst through the trees and I stopped when Malfoy did. My eyes immideately fell on the two figures standing in front of us, holding hands, and I breathed out in relief.

"Thank Merlin." Everybody looked as relieved, though Malfoy was the one who said it.

"We don't have time. We need to run!" I said. "We have to go and take cover. Our cave won't hide us." Malfoy nodded while the other two looked confused. "Birds that kill unleashed by the game makers. Two are already dead." Without wasting a moment, we were running through the forest in the direction I hoped was continuing towards the edge although at that moment, anywhere with cover would do. Even if it meant starting over with our hunt for the edge.

Someone behind me stopped and began coughing and I, along with the others stopped and turned to see Seamus leaning over, blood leaking out of his mouth. He wiped his mouth and gestured for us to keep going. We did. The second time was worse. Everyone stopped when he fell against a tree and threw up more blood.

Pansy's hand flew to her mouth and she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He choked out. "I cant... I can't do this." He put his hand to his head and closed his eyes. Everyone stared at him. The squawking got closer.

Malfoy strode forward and leaning over, he pulled Seamus over his shoulder, obviously trying not to agitate his wound. "Keep going." He told us, adjusting his hold on Seamus. Pansy and I stared at Malfoy, shocked, before continuing to run. Malfoy followed, Seamus carried over his shoulder.

But we could only get so far this way. And everybody knew it. The squawking got louder and closer and we could hear branches behind us being destroyed as they flew through the forest.

"Stop." Seamus' voice called. We did. Pansy and I turned around and Malfoy halted, waiting for Seamus to say something. "Malf-Draco, put me down." He did and Seamus leaned against a tree, supporting his weight. Pansy and I clutched on to his arm. "You need to go on without me." We gaped at him. "I'm slowing you down. And judging by my state right now- I'm going to die anyway. I want you to go on without me."

Even Malfoy stared at him dumbstruck.

* * *

**Ooh. What just happened? Okay so I know a few of you were looks forward to the angst in chapter 10 but I decided to split the chapter up into two bits so the sad parts will be definitely in the next chapter. Will they leave Seamus behind? That seems like a heartless thing to do, no? Well you'll see soon enough.**

**Thank you all so much for your reviews and support, you guys are amazing! I would love to reply to your reviews personally but I have school and a lot of work and I cant :/ But if you drop me an inbox for anything you would like in particular, chances are i WILL reply there! **

**Do review this one as well. It would mean the world to me.**  
**Love always,**  
**FeltonLewis xx**


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